Delhi pollution: In view of the improved Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi, the Centre on Monday revoked anti-pollution restrictions under the Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the entire Delhi-NCR with immediate effect.
CAQM met to review air quality
The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, met on January 1 following improvement in air quality.
The sub-committee of CAQM revoked Stage-III of GRAP in view of the forecasts by the IMD/IITM for meteorological conditions and the air quality index of Delhi.
According to the forecast, the AQI in Delhi has shown steady improvement, recorded as 346 at 4 pm which is about 55 AQI points below the threshold for invoking the GRAP Stage-III actions (Delhi AQI 401-450) and there is a likelihood of sustaining the improvement in AQI.
AQI likely to improve
The forecast does not indicate any deterioration further and there is a likelihood of the AQI improving while remaining in the Very Poor/ Poor category in the next few days.
"Therefore, keeping in view the disruptive nature of restrictions under Stage-III of GRAP impacting a large number of stakeholders and public as well as considering the significant improvement in the average AQI of Delhi and also the forecasts by IMD/ IITM not indicating the average air quality of Delhi to move to ‘Severe’ category in the coming days, the Sub-Committee for operationalization of actions under GRAP unanimously decided to revoke Stage-III of GRAP in the entire NCR with immediate effect," said officials.
However, actions under Stage-I to Stage-II of the GRAP shall remain invoked and be implemented, monitored and reviewed by all agencies concerned in the entire NCR. "Agencies shall keep strict vigil and especially intensify measures under Stage-I and II of GRAP in order to obviate the implementation of Stage-III of GRAP actions owing to AQI level further slipping into the ‘Severe’ category," it added.
The C and D project sites and industrial units that have been issued specific closure orders on account of violations/ non-compliances of various statutory directions, rules, and guidelines will not be allowed to resume their operations without any specific order to this effect from the Commission.
The CAQM invoked actions under GRAP Stage-III last year on December 22 amid deteriorating air quality in Delhi as the AQI level slipped into the 'Severe' category for several days.
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