The Commission for Air Quality Management on Friday invoked Stage 3 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan in Delhi and the National Capital Region after the air quality deteriorated.
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. The commission is a statutory body formed in 2020 to address pollution in the NCR and adjoining areas.
Stage 3 measures include a ban on non-essential construction work and the closure of stone crushers and mining activities, in addition to the measures already imposed under Stage 1 and Stage 2.
They also include the shifting of primary school up to Class 5 to hybrid mode. Parents and students have the option to choose between offline and online classes wherever available.
At 8.05 pm, Delhi’s air quality index stood at 346, placing it in the “very poor” category, according to the Sameer application, which provides hourly updates from the Central Pollution Control Board.
Weather forecasts by the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology indicate that slow wind speeds, a stable atmosphere and unfavourable meteorological conditions are likely to prevent the dispersal of pollutants, an unidentified official told PTI.
As a result, Delhi’s average AQI is expected to breach the 400-mark and enter the “severe” category in the coming days, the news agency reported.
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” and above category signifies hazardous pollution levels that can pose serious risks even to healthy individuals.
On January 2, Stage 3 restrictions had been revoked in the national capital after air quality improved, though measures under Stage 1 and Stage 2 remained in force.
Delhi and the neighbouring cities have recorded air quality in the “poor” or worse categories since mid-October.
Air quality 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.
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