On account of worsening air pollution conditions, the Centre’s air quality panel ordered for the implementation of stage III restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR which meant banning all non-essential construction and demolition work. As of 30th December 2022, the average AQI for Delhi stood at 399, considered borderline hazardous. The experts committee at GRAP believes the air quality is likely to further deteriorate in the coming days due to calm winds and stable atmospheric conditions.
On account of worsening air pollution conditions, the Centre’s air quality panel ordered for the implementation of stage III restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR which meant banning all non-essential construction and demolition work. As of 30th December 2022, the average AQI for Delhi stood at 399, considered borderline hazardous. The experts' committee at GRAP believes the air quality is likely to further deteriorate in the coming days due to calm winds and stable atmospheric conditions.
The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is a set of anti-pollution measures followed by the state. It classified the air quality of the city under four stages depending on upon which certain restrictions are laid out to curb and maintain pollution measures. Presently it has four stages; Stage I – is considered ‘poor’ with an AQI range of 201-300, Stage II – is considered ‘very poor’ with an AQI range of301-400, Stage III – is considered ‘severe’ with an AQI range of 401-500 and Stage IV – considered ‘severe plus’ with an average AQI exceeding 450.
According to the plan, should the AQI be projected to reach Stage III, restrictive actions are to be put in place in advance. These restrictions include the closure of stone crushers, mining activities, non-essential construction, and demolition. Stage IV restrictions include the closure of educational institutions, 50% in-office capacity for municipal and private offices, a ban on entry of trucks, movement of vehicles based on odd-even numbers, etc. This is the second time the city has imposed Stage III restriction this month, the earlier being around the 1st week of December when the AQI levels reached 407 in Delhi-NCR.
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