Delhi air pollution: GRAP IV soon in city; what is allowed, what's not

Thick smog blanketed Delhi on Friday as the city's air quality remained in the "severe" zone for the second consecutive day, primarily due to unfavourable meteorological conditions and raging farm fires in Punjab.

The overall air quality index (AQI) of Delhi stood at 445 at 2 pm. An AQI of above 400 is considered "severe" which can affect healthy people and seriously impact those with existing illnesses. And accordingly, Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been put in place in a bid to avoid further deterioration of overall air quality. 

What is GRAP?

First implemented in 2017, the GRAP is a set of anti-air pollution measures followed in the capital and its vicinity according to the severity of the situation.

It classifies the air quality in the Delhi-NCR under four different stages: stage 1 - "poor" (AQI 201-300), stage 2 - "very poor" (AQI 301-400), stage 3 - "severe" (AQI 401-450) and stage 4 - "severe plus" (AQI above 450).

What's allowed, and what's not under Stage IV of GRAP:

• Ban on plying of four-wheeled diesel light motor vehicles in Delhi-NCR; BS-VI, essential and emergency services vehicles exempted.
• Ban on entry of trucks other than electric and CNG ones in Delhi; those carrying essential commodities exempted.
• Ban on construction and demolition works in linear public projects such as highways, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission, pipelines in Delhi-NCR.
• Closure of all industries that are not running on clean fuels in NCR ordered, even in areas which do not have PNG infrastructure and supply, other than the fuels as per the standard list of approved fuels for NCR. Industries like milk and dairy units and those involved in manufacturing of life-saving medical equipment or devices, drugs and medicines shall, however, be exempted from these restrictions.
• States to decide on closure of schools, non-emergency commercial activities, odd-even scheme for vehicles.
• Central, state governments may decide on permitting work from home for their employees.
• Ban on Delhi-registered diesel-run medium and heavy goods vehicles in the capital. Those carrying essential commodities and providing essential services are exempted.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai will convene a high-level meeting on Friday to discuss the implementation of curbs on polluting activities under the final stage of the Graded Response Action Plan

(With inputs from agencies)