What Makes Delhi Wait? Mumbai Enforces GRAP-4 With Air Quality Half As Bad

Amid the worsening air quality in the financial capital Mumbai, the civic body has started enforcing restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-4). The areas where GRAP-4 curbs have been rolled are the ones reporting Air Quality Index (AQI) in 'very poor' and 'severe' categories, leading to health discomfort among residents. This includes, Mazgaon, Deonar, Malad, Borivali East, Chakala-Andheri East, Navy Nagar, Powai and Mulund.

GRAP-4 In Mumbai: What It Includes

1. Mumbai's civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has halted construction and dust-generating activities in these areas, and dozens of sites are being monitored.
2. Stop-work/shutdown notices have been issued to 50 construction and Ready-Mix Concrete (RMC) sites in the worst-affected wards.
3. Several small industries, including bakeries, marble-cutting units and other local operations have been asked to shift to cleaner processes or face punitive action.
4. Flying squads have been deployed in every ward to enforce pollution-control norms and monitor emissions. These squads include engineers, police personnel and GPS-tracked vehicles.
5. Of the 70 sites inspected by BMC, 53 were found violating dust-control rules. Notices have been served to them as well.

Mumbai vs Delhi: What's The Difference In GRAP-4 Guidelines

Mumbai has officially joined Delhi in providing toxic air to its citizens. The city has been witnessing poor air quality, with several monitoring stations recording AQI readings between 200-300, driven largely by PM 2.5 and PM 10, for the past few weeks. Last week, the BMC warned to invoke the strictest controls under the GRAP. This, despite the AQI being much lower than that of Delhi's. The AQI in Delhi had been ranging between 300-400 in the last few days.

In Delhi, the restrictions under GRAP-4 often include:

1. Ban on the use of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars (4-wheelers).
2. School classes, with exceptions for students of Classes 10 and 12, are shifted to hybrid mode - a mix of physical and online classes.
3. While private companies are asked to provide work from home to its employees, the government offices run on 50 per cent strength and the rest work from home.
4. Entry of truck traffic into Delhi is banned.
5. The use of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars (4-wheelers) will be restricted in Delhi and nearby NCR districts.