Now Reading: Delhi-NCR gets revised GRAP with 4-stage pollution curbs
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Delhi-NCR gets revised GRAP with 4-stage pollution curbs
The Commission for Air Quality Management has released a revised Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi-NCR, effective immediately. The plan sets four stages based on AQI levels: Stage 1 (AQI 201-300) with…
The Commission for Air Quality Management has released a revised Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi-NCR, effective immediately. The plan sets four stages based on AQI levels: Stage 1 (AQI 201-300) with basic curbs, Stage 2 (AQI 301-400) with stricter vehicle and dust controls, Stage 3 (AQI 401-450) with bans on construction, and Stage 4 (AQI above 450) with the severest restrictions including a truck ban.
At Stage 4, government and private offices in Delhi-NCR will operate with 50% staff on-site and the rest on work from home. Parking fees at registered sites will rise during severe stages to discourage private vehicle use. Schools in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar will switch to hybrid mode for classes up to 5th at Stage 3, and for classes 6th to 9th and 11th at Stage 4.
The revised GRAP contains 48 action points: 25 in Stage 1, 8 in Stage 2, 10 in Stage 3 and 5 in Stage 4, plus a Citizen Charter for each stage. CAQM has also advised rescheduling physical sports tournaments in November-December to dates with better air quality, particularly for school children's health.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Dense winters have made Delhi-NCR the world's most polluted capital region for years, with the Supreme Court repeatedly stepping in to direct emergency measures after readings spike. GRAP was created in 2017 following a 2016 National Green Tribunal order, and the revised plan here formalises what courts have long demanded: pre-emptive, staged action rather than reactive bans. The real test will be enforcement on the ground, as previous GRAP stages were often ignored by construction firms and municipal bodies, leading the Supreme Court in 2023 to threaten contempt proceedings. The Commission for Air Quality Management now has a clear trigger at each AQI band, putting the onus on Delhi's lieutenant governor and NCR state chief secretaries to implement Stage 3 or 4 without waiting for a court order. The coming winter will show whether a graded plan can actually halt the annual health crisis, or if India's clean-air targets remain aspirational.
Source: aajtak.in
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
