NEW DELHI: The Delhi government will shut down as many a 40 malls that use diesel generator sets for power backup in order to reduce air pollution in the national capital, as ordered by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

V3S mall in Nirman Vihar, east Delhi, was reportedly one of the first names mentioned. "Only malls that use diesel generator sets (DGS) for power have been shut down," according to a CAQM representative.

After reviewing the representation of various agencies, the Supreme Court on Friday enabled the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjacent Areas to make a decision on lifting the prohibition on construction activities and limits on industrial activities.

With the arrival of winter in 2015, Delhi's air quality began to deteriorate, eventually falling into the "extremely poor" and "dangerous" categories. An AQI of zero to fifty is deemed "excellent," 51 to one hundred "acceptable," 101 to 200 "moderate," 201 to 300 "poor," 301 to 400 "very poor," and 401 to 500 "severe."

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