It also said it was considering cloud seeding to produce rain, a technique Beijing used to clear the air before the 2008 Olympic Games.
Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, said the city faced an "emergency situation".
"These temporary emergency measures are critical for bringing down the peak polution levels," she said.
"Of course this cannot be permanent you cannot keep people indoors forever," she added