New Delhi [India]: The Central government’s air quality monitoring panel announced on Tuesday that Stage IV (‘Severe+’) measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) have been revoked, following an improvement in air quality.
Despite this reprieve, measures under Stages I, II, and III will remain in effect to prevent any further decline in air quality, according to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
The decision to ease restrictions comes after Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) improved to 369 (‘Very Poor’) as of 4 PM on December 24. This marked a significant improvement from the AQI level of 401 (‘Severe’) recorded on December 16. The improvement was attributed to favourable meteorological conditions, including increased wind speed, based on forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
Stage IV measures had been invoked earlier when AQI levels crossed the 400 mark, in line with the Supreme Court’s directives. These measures included stringent restrictions such as halting industrial activities, construction work, and barring the entry of non-essential trucks into Delhi.
The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is a tiered set of emergency measures designed to tackle air pollution in Delhi-NCR based on the severity of the AQI.
The CAQM stressed the need for continued vigilance. “Actions under Stage I, II, and III of the revised GRAP shall remain invoked and be implemented, monitored, and reviewed by all the agencies concerned in the entire NCR to ensure that the AQI levels do not slip further,” stated the commission in its order.
Citizens were urged to follow the guidelines outlined under Stage III, especially given the challenges posed by winter weather conditions. “Keeping in view the winter season, when weather conditions may not always be favorable, and to ensure that AQI levels do not slip further, citizens are requested to strictly adhere to the Citizen Charter under GRAP-III,” the commission added.
The CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP confirmed that it would continue to closely monitor the air quality situation and issue directives as needed. “The Sub-Committee shall be keeping a close watch on the air quality scenario and review the situation from time to time for further appropriate decisions depending upon the air quality in Delhi and forecasts made by IMD/IITM,” the statement concluded.