Delhi air pollution: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) revoked GRAP-4 curbs in Delhi on Thursday, January 16, after the national capital's air quality improved.
However, GRAP 3 restrictions will remain in effect. On Thursday, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) was 301, which is lower than the AQI of 386 recorded on Wednesday, January 15.
"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 its latest statement.
The CAQM had imposed GRAP 4 restrictions in Delhi after the air quality became 'severe' on Wednesday, January 15.
Due to the declining air quality, the Delhi government had also instructed schools to conduct classes for standards 9-12 in hybrid mode.
GRAP Stage 3 restrictions entail a ban on the following in Delhi:
1. Non-essential construction work.
2. Movement of non-essential diesel-operated medium goods vehicles with BS-IV or older standards in Delhi.
Under GRAP 3 curbs, the use of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars (4-wheelers) is also restricted in Delhi and nearby NCR districts.
Additionally, classes up to grade V are mandated to shift to hybrid mode under Stage 3. Parents and students have the option to choose online education wherever available.
During winters, the CAQM enforces GRAP restrictions in the Delhi-NCR region to tackle the rising levels of air pollution. Depending on the AQI, the CAQM enforces the various stages of GRAP as follows:
1.‘Poor’ AQI (201-300)- GRAP Stage 1
2. ‘Very Poor’ AQI (301-400)- GRAP Stage 2
3. ‘Severe’ AQI (401-450) GRAP Stage 3
4. ‘Severe Plus’ AQI (above 450) GRAP stage 4
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