Pollution control body issues revised GRAP norms for Delhi, NCR ahead of winters

With winter approaching in a couple of months, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has issued revised Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) guidelines to tackle the National Capital Region (NCR) and surrounding areas' air pollution.

The following revised GRAP guidelines have been issued under Section 12 of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021. These guidelines aim at stricter, more predictive measures to address deteriorating air quality, particularly during the winter months, reported Hindustan Times.

Based on daily AQI forecasts for Delhi and NCR, the new measures would be invoked as and when required.

GRAP measures:

Among the revised updates of GRAP, the guidelines propose increasing parking fee to reduce vehicular pollution. The primary aim is to decrease road congestion and emissions during winters.

First notified by the ministry of environment, forest, and climate change in January 2017, the original GRAP was based on recommendations from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Since then it has been an essential tool in managing air pollution in Delhi-NCR.

In years, the GRAP plan has undergone several revisions, adapting evolving environmental challenges and new insights gained from its implementation, HT quoted officials at the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board as saying.

What CAQM said:

The CAQM enforced news GRAP measures in an order dated 17 September. Under the stage III of GRAP – when Air Quality Index (AQI) breaches 400, the CAQM mentioned the following will be enforced:

a) All inter-state buses from NCR states – except electric vehicles, CNG vehicles and BS-VI diesel buses – will be prohibited from entering Delhi.

b) Stringent ban on construction and demolition activities across NCR.

c) Suspension of mining-related activities.

d) Consideration of shifting to online classes for students up to Class V.

e) Daily water sprinkling on major roads.