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GRAP Stage II restrictions imposed across Delhi as air quality deteriorates to the ‘Very poor’ category. (ET Now Digital)
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Monday invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR with immediate effect after air quality in the region deteriorated to the ‘very poor’ category.
Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) rose from 261 in the ‘poor’ category on October 31 to 324 in the ‘very poor’ category on November 1. The CAQM said forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) indicated that air quality was likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category over the coming days.
The decision was taken by the CAQM’s sub-committee on GRAP after reviewing the air quality situation on November 2. Stage I restrictions, which were brought into force on October 21, will continue alongside the additional measures under Stage II.
Under Stage II, civic agencies will carry out daily mechanical and vacuum sweeping of identified roads, preferably at night or during the early morning hours. Water sprinkling with dust suppressants will also take place daily, particularly along busy roads and traffic congestion points, before peak traffic hours.
Authorities will intensify inspections at construction and demolition sites to ensure compliance with dust-control measures. Targeted pollution-control measures will also be taken at identified hotspots across the NCR.
The measures also include higher parking fees to discourage the use of private vehicles. Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) will provide electric heaters to security guards, sanitation workers, horticulture staff and other workers to prevent the burning of biomass and municipal solid waste during winter.
The Delhi government and NCR state governments may also stagger the timings of public offices and municipal bodies in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar. The Centre may take a similar decision for its offices in the region. The CAQM will monitor the implementation of measures under Stages I and II to prevent any further deterioration in air quality. The committee will continue to review the situation based on air quality forecasts from the IMD and IITM.
Sohil Sehran is a journalist with over 12 years of experience covering politics, national affairs and security. He has reported extensively from Jammu and Kashmir and covered elections across several states, bringing on-ground experience to his reporting on some of India’s most consequential political and national stories. Over the course of his career, Sohil has worked across print, broadcast and digital journalism, with stints at Times Now, Brut India and Hindustan Times, among other news organisations. His work has taken him from the field to the newsroom, covering politics, public policy, security and the stories shaping India.
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