The air quality index suggested very poor conditions in the Delhi region. (File)
Pollution levels in Faridabad today are 25 times higher than what is considered safe. The abnormal reading could be a result of a technical glitch, a pollution control board official said.
The level of the finest pollutant in air, PM 2.5, was found to be 1,515 microgrammes per cubic metres at 9 am. At 12 pm, it dropped to 1,457 units.
The safe level of PM2.5 in air is 60 units as per national standards.
"This must be a technical glitch and pollutants cannot be so abnormally high. The 1,515 units of PM2.5 is way more. We are looking into the matter," Central Pollution Control Board Member Secretary Prashant Gargav said.
The pollution level in the national capital region remained in the "very poor" category today. At 1 pm, the average PM2.5 contamination across 36 regions in Delhi was 223 units.
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court did not ban firecrackers but restricted its use to tackle concerns about deadly pollution in Delhi and other cities. The top court allowed "safe and green" crackers from 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali, when fireworks add to toxic smog in Delhi, the world's most polluted city according to a WHO report.
The air quality index, which measures the concentration of poisonous particulate matter, has crossed 300 in parts of Delhi in recent days. Anything above 100 is considered unhealthy by the Central Pollution Control Board.
With inputs from IANS