As the air quality in Delhi dipped to the “severe+” category, the Commission for Air Quality Management on Saturday imposed Stage 4 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan to control pollution in the National Capital Region.GRAP is a set of incremental anti-pollution measures that are triggered to prevent further worsening of air quality once it reaches a certain threshold in the Delhi-NCR region.
Earlier in the day, the authority had reimposed Stage 3 restrictions under the plan, which mandate a ban on non-essential construction work and the closure of stone crushers and mining activities.
Stage 4 of GRAP is implemented when the Air Quality Index in Delhi breaches the 450-mark. It includes a ban on trucks entering the region and halting construction activities for public and private projects.
All schools, except for classes 10 and 12, will also have to shift to hybrid mode.
The measures came into force as the national capital’s average AQI at 8.05 pm stood at 452, showed the Sameer application, which provides hourly updates from the Central Pollution Control Board.
A day earlier, the overall AQI had reached 349, rising from 307 on Thursday and 259 on Wednesday.
An index value between 0 and 50 indicates “good” air quality, between 51 and 100 indicates “satisfactory” air quality and between 101 and 200 indicates “moderate” air quality. As the index value increases further, air quality deteriorates. A value of 201 and 300 means “poor” air quality, while between 301 and 400 indicates “very poor” air.
Between 401 and 450 indicates “severe” air pollution, while anything above the 450 threshold is termed “severe plus”.
An AQI in the “severe” category signifies hazardous pollution levels that can pose serious risks even to healthy individuals.
Delhi has been recording air quality in the “poor” or worse categories since mid-October.
Air quality usually deteriorates sharply in the winter months in Delhi, which is often ranked the world’s most polluted capital.
Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, vehicular pollution, along with the lighting of firecrackers during Diwali, falling temperatures, decreased wind speeds and emissions from industries and coal-fired plants contribute to the problem.
Watch: Delhi’s pollution crisis needs drastic action
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