New Delhi— With air pollution worsening sharply in the national capital, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Saturday enforced Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect after the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) crossed the 400 mark at 10 am.
The reintroduction of Stage III measures has led to strict curbs across Delhi to prevent further deterioration of air quality. All non-essential construction and demolition activities have been halted, including earthwork, piling, open trenching, welding, painting, plastering, tiling and flooring. Operations of stone crushers, brick kilns and mining units have also been suspended, along with the transportation of construction materials such as cement, sand and fly ash on unpaved roads.
Vehicular restrictions under Stage III include a ban on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers, non-essential diesel-run medium goods vehicles, and inter-state diesel buses that do not comply with CNG, electric or BS-VI emission norms.
However, essential infrastructure projects have been exempted from the ban. Construction activities linked to metro rail, railways, airports, highways, defence installations, healthcare facilities and sanitation projects will continue. Vehicles used by persons with disabilities will also remain exempted from the restrictions. In the education sector, schools have been advised to switch to hybrid or online classes for students up to Grade 5.
The latest action follows a major revision in the GRAP framework, under which stricter measures now come into force at lower pollution thresholds. Under the updated system, measures earlier reserved for Stage IV have been brought forward to Stage III. This means public, municipal and private offices will operate with only 50 per cent staff strength, while central government offices will move to work-from-home arrangements once AQI enters the 301–400 range, instead of waiting for it to breach 450.
Similarly, Stage III measures have now been shifted to Stage II, resulting in staggered office timings being enforced once AQI reaches the 201–300 bracket. Stage II measures have also been advanced to Stage I, ensuring uninterrupted power supply to discourage diesel generator usage as soon as AQI touches the 101–200 range.
Authorities said the revised GRAP framework is aimed at enabling quicker intervention to curb pollution before it escalates to emergency levels.
