New Delhi, November 4: Citizens of India seemed extremely concern about rising pollution level across the country, especially in Delhi, the national capital. India was the top country searching for "pollution" on Google on Monday morning, according to the search engine. The data available with Google showed the search interest in "Delhi pollution reason" saw a hike of over 4000 percent in past one week. Delhi Pollution: Air Quality Remains in 'Severe' Category in Lodhi Road Area, Odd-Even Rule Starts From Today.

"#India is the top country searching for #pollution right now. Search interest in "Delhi pollution reason" has spiked +4,550% in the past week," read a tweet by Google Trends. The search engine also put out a list of questions related to pollution being searched on Google. The queries are - What is air pollution? How to protest yourself from air pollution? Which mask is good for air pollution in Delhi? Why is Delhi so polluted?  and When will Delhi pollution improve? Odd-Even in Delhi: Electric Vehicles Exempted From Car-Rationing Scheme.

Indians Searching 'Pollution', Shows Google Trends Data

The air quality index (AQI) in a number of cities in North India is rising to "severe-plus" category, with a thick blanket of smog enveloping streets. The situation is worse in Delhi where air pollution touched the "unbreathable" level of 1,000 on Sunday, prompting the Prime Minister's Office to intervene. According to some experts, this level of pollution is equivalent to smoking 33 cigarettes a day.

PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday held a meeting with officials from the states of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Chief Secretaries of these States have been asked to monitor the situation in various districts of their respective states, on a 24x7 basis. According to the SAFAR), the unexpected drizzle on Saturday in a calm wind condition worked adversely and deteriorated the air quality.

Air pollutant levels in Delhi have been increasing steadily in the past 15 days. It has increased alarmingly during the past few days. The Delhi government advised people to remain indoors as much as possible. In its bid to check the rising pollution levels, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi has also reintroduced the 'odd-even' scheme, which will continue till November 14.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 04, 2019 09:34 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).