Due to assembly polls in Punjab, fines are not being imposed to please farmers, senior advocate Vikas Singh told the Supreme Court.
The air quality of Delhi is likely to improve to the 'poor' or 'lower end of very poor' category for the next two days.
Though the order issued by the environment department did not make it clear if the curbs on construction and demolition activities will continue, a senior official said the ban has been lifted.
According to the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), schools and colleges will remain closed till further orders.
All schools in Delhi will remain closed till further orders in view of the prevailing air pollution in the national capital.
In Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Cluster buses, the maximum number of passengers allowed to travel in standing position will be 50 per cent of the seating capacity.
Construction and demolition work has also been banned till November 21 in Delhi, while schools and other educational institutes will remain closed in the national capital until further orders, Rai informed.
The campaign to reduce Delhi's air pollution was started on October 18 and was to end on November 18 but seeing the spike in pollution levels, the government has decided to start the second phase of the campaign from Friday (November 19).
According to the fire department, the 13 identified pollution hotspots include Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Bawana, Dwarka, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Narela, Okhla, Punjabi Bagh, R K Puram, Rohini, Vivek Vihar, and Wazirpur.
Construction and demolition work has also been banned till November 21 in Delhi, while schools and other educational institutes will remain closed in the national capital until further orders, Rai informed.
The top court was hearing a plea filed by a 17-year-old Delhi student, related to air pollution in Delhi and adjoining areas due to stubble burning.
Construction workers said that ban on construction without due notice and publicity leaves them completely insecure and unaware, making them ideal fodder for harassment by the implementing agencies.
Delhi recorded its air quality index at 389 at 9 am. It had slipped into the severe zone on Tuesday and was recorded at 403 at 4 pm. Air quality index in Faridabad (350), Ghaziabad (368), Greater Noida (358), Gurugram (354) and Noida (369) also recorded their air quality in very poor category.
Delhi-NCR recorded its air quality in the very poor category on Wednesday morning and no major improvement is likely until Sunday, according to IMD.
BJP said that rising pollution level in Delhi is the biggest failure of the Arvind Kejriwal government.
Delhi air quality index: Air quality in Delhi remains in the ‘very poor’ zone today with SAFAR recording an overall AQI of 379.
The Supreme Court on Monday had directed the Commission For Air Quality Management to hold a joint meeting and on Tuesday.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
The AQI on Monday was 'very poor' and is unlikely to improve on Tuesday, SAFAR, a forecasting system under the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, IITM, Pune, said.
Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill accused both the BJP and AAP of indulging in a blame game and wasting the taxpayers' money on "hollow" advertisements.
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