The centre's pollution control board on Friday ordered states and local bodies to be in "complete readiness" for emergency measures to tackle New Delhi's worsening smog conditions due to a drop in temperature and wind speeds. A thick haze of toxic smog hung over Delhi, exacerbated by a spike in the burning of crop waste in surrounding farmlands. It reduced visibility and the Air Quality Index (AQI) hit 470 on a scale of 500, according to the pollution control board.
