As the air quality in the city deteriorated, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) imposed Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR on Friday.As part of the Stage 3 of the GRAP, the use of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars (four-wheelers) is restricted in Delhi and neighbouring NCR districts. However, people with disabilities are exempt from these restrictions. moreover, non-essential diesel-operated medium goods vehicles with BS-IV or older standards are banned in the capital.
The development comes as the city's air pollution levels increased because of unfavourable meteorological conditions. On Friday, the Delhi-NCR region woke up to thick fog with temperatures dipping to a minimum of 8°C.
Moreover, the visibility conditions worsened at 6 AM, prompting authorities to take necessary actions to ensure safety.
Early in the morning, the Safdarjung weather station recorded a maximum temperature of 16.2°C, slightly higher than 15°C the previous day, but still three degrees below the normal.
List of restrictions under GRAP Stage 3
As part of the GRAP Stage 3, there is a ban on non-essential construction work.
As part of the restrictions, classes up to grade V are required to shift to hybrid mode under Stage 3. However, parents and students can have the option to choose online education wherever available.
As part of Stage 3, the use of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars (4-wheelers) is restricted in Delhi and nearby NCR districts. However, people with disabilities are exempt.
Stage 3 curbs also ban non-essential diesel-operated medium goods vehicles with BS-IV or older standards in Delhi.
Delhi fog: Trains, flights delayed
Several train and flight services were affected as dense fog blanketed several parts of Delhi-NCR, reducing visibility and affecting the general operations of vehicles as well. Nearly 24 trains departing from Delhi were delayed due to the weather, including the Ayodhya Express, which was delayed by four hours, and the Gorakhdham Express, which was running more than two hours late. Apart from this, Bihar Kranti Express and Shram Shakti Express were also delayed by over three hours.
Earlier in the day, Delhi Airport reported an average delay of five minutes for arrival flights and 11 minutes for departure flights, according to FlightRadar24. SpiceJet said that all flights to and from Amritsar and Guwahati were affected due to adverse weather conditions. In the meantime, IndiGo issued a travel advisory, particularly for Delhi, Amritsar, Lucknow, Bengaluru, and Guwahati routes.
