Pollution Curbs Under GRAP-4 Revoked In Delhi, GRAP-3 To Stay

The authorities have removed curbs due to pollution in Delhi and nearby cities, after light rain improved air quality in the region.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in a statement today said it has revoked GRAP-4, a set of rules to be followed when air quality index (AQI) goes above the 400-mark.

The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) level 3 will remain in effect.

"CAQM sub-committee on GRAP... straightaway invoked both Stage-III and Stage-IV of revised GRAP when the AQI of Delhi breached the 350 mark... as the AQI of the day for yesterday recorded 386 and started to exhibit a sharp increasing trend, indicating a possibility to even breach the 400 mark," the CAQM said in the statement.

Delhi's AQI today was recorded at 302, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) bulletin.

"As per the dynamic model and forecasts for meteorological conditions and air quality index made available by IMD/IITM, the overall air quality of Delhi is likely to stay in the lower end of the 'Very Poor' category in the coming days," it said.

The GRAP sub-committee said it revoked the stage-4 rules considering its disruptive nature that impacts a large number of stakeholders and the public at large.

GRAP-4 restrictions include a ban on all construction activities, the entry of non-essential polluting trucks into Delhi, and the mandatory shift of school classes, except for Classes 10 and 12, to hybrid mode. Non-essential diesel trucks are prohibited from entering Delhi, and Delhi-registered BS-4 and older diesel-run heavy goods vehicles are banned, except for essential services, under GRAP-4.