New Delhi: United States Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has said that the pollution levels in Delhi reminded him of his upbringing in Los Angeles, “where the air was the most polluted air anywhere in America,” news agency ANI reported.

He also said his daughter has been advised by her teacher not to venture outside to play, just as he was cautioned during his younger days in Los Angeles.

"On a day like this in Delhi, it brings back memories of growing up in Los Angeles where the air was the most polluted air anywhere in America," Garcetti was quoted as saying by ANI.

"Where like today, we were given warnings by our teachers that you cannot go outside to play, just as my daughter was given by her teacher today as I dropped her off to school," he added.

In response to Garcetti's remarks, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai stated on Thursday that the pollution situation in the national capital "has seen improvement over time."

He accused the Centre of not having enough involvement in resolving the problem, He said the Centre must work together with the NCR states and Delhi alone cannot fix the issue.

He maintained that the problem continues even after a meeting with a meeting.

On Thursday, several parts of Delhi recorded 'severe' air quality, as a persistent smoggy haze enveloped the city for the third consecutive day.

Due to an uptick in agricultural fires and unfavourable weather conditions, scientists have cautioned about a potential surge in pollution levels in the Delhi-NCR region over the next two weeks.

This is concerning given that the air quality index in many areas has already surpassed 400.

Health experts have expressed concerns about the potential increase in asthma and respiratory issues, particularly among children and the elderly.

At 10 am, the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) was measured at 351. The 24-hour average AQI stood at 364 on Wednesday, 359 on Tuesday, 347 on Monday, 325 on Sunday, 304 on Saturday, and 261 on Friday.