New Delhi: Days after the Supreme Court cleared major changes to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for Delhi-NCR, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has shifted several strict curbs from Stage 4 to Stage 3 in an effort to act earlier during pollution spikes.
The revised system means that measures earlier applied only when the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossed 450 will now be enforced once it enters the 401–450 band. Similarly, some Stage 3 measures will apply under Stage 2, and Stage 2 curbs will move to Stage 1.
The CAQM said the changes reflect the Supreme Court’s November 19 direction urging authorities to take more proactive steps and consult stakeholders to prevent further deterioration of Delhi’s air.
GRAP Stage 3 has been in place since November 11, and under the new framework, authorities will also be empowered to consider stricter Stage 4 restrictions at this level. These include allowing public, municipal and private offices to function with only 50% staff while the rest work from home. The Centre has also been advised to take a call on similar arrangements for its own offices.
Delhi’s air quality remained in the “very poor” category on Saturday, with an AQI of 367 at 1:30 pm, slightly better than Friday’s reading of 392. However, pollution levels have stayed in the “very poor” range for more than a week.
Meanwhile, the Air Quality Early Warning System of the Ministry of Earth Sciences has predicted a further dip, warning that the Capital could slip into the “severe” category and remain between “very poor” and “severe” for the next six days.
