Amid spiralling air pollution levels in Delhi, minister Gopal Rai said Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is based on a "source-reduce management system" — targeting the sources of pollution. He said while the Delhi government is taking all measures to mitigate pollution, the support of Delhiites is also needed.

He appealed to national capital residents to:

Report instances of construction work on the Green Delhi app

Use car and bike pools

Opt for work from home

Stop the use of coal and wood

Provide electric heaters to security guards

Get a Pollution Under Control certificate and get it checked if needed

Avoid firecrackers

These measures will help reduce air pollution at the individual level.

Gopal Rai's appeal came when Delhi's air quality was "very poor", nearing a "severe" level. The national capital remained covered in haze on Wednesday morning as the air quality index (AQI) stood at 354.

The Delhi government has already launched a 15-point action plan to curb air pollution in the national category. Alongside, GRAP has been implemented to intensify the measures.

ALSO READ | Delhi anti-pollution drive good but could have been better — experts say how

Earlier on Tuesday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had directed the Delhi government to consider deploying water sprinklers and anti-smog guns round-the-clock to check the city's dust and air pollution levels.

"Since construction is banned, for now, the city government can utilise the anti-smog guns and sprinklers available with these agencies," a CAQM official said.

The official said the sharp increase in the air quality index over the last five days has "more to do with meteorological and external factors".

Satellite images showed a layer of smoke blanketing vast swathes of the Indo-Gangetic plains — from east Pakistan to east Uttar Pradesh. The forecast is that the air quality will improve over the next few days, and the CAQM will keep evaluating the situation constantly, the official quoted PTI as saying.

"It is imperative to curb air pollution through systemic, financial, and technological re-orientation to ensure a better quality of life across our megapolises cities," said Abinash Mohanty, Associate Director, Social and economic empowerment, IPE Global (international development consulting firm).