New Delhi: Restrictions on cars on Delhi roads are lifted again following an improvement in Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) today.
The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) Sub-Committee on Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP t revokes Stage-III of the revised GRAP in the entire NCR revoked its earlier order of January 3, 2025, with immediate effect.
All actions under Stages II & I of the revised GRAP shall however remain invoked and be implemented, intensified, monitored and reviewed by all agencies concerned in the entire NCR to ensure that the AQI levels do not rise further in the coming days, the CAQM Sub-Committee stated.
Today, Delhi’s average AQI improved and at 2 pm it clocked 348, at 3 pm it recorded 343, which further improved to 339 in the 4 pm AQI Bulletin provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and again improved to 335 at 5 pm, “clearly indicating a downward trend”.
It was because of this trend of improvement in the average AQI of Delhi, that the Sub-Committee on Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) met today to review the current air quality scenario in the region as well as the forecasts for meteorological conditions and air quality index made available by India Meteorological Department and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
Accordingly, it took an appropriate call on the preventive/restrictive actions under Stage III of the revised GRAP in place in the entire National Capital Region (NCR) since January 3, 2025.
While comprehensively reviewing the overall air quality parameters of Delhi-NCR, the Sub-Committee, observed that while the forecast indicates the AQI levels to further go down, there is a further likelihood of the AQI of Delhi remaining in the “Poor” category in the coming days owing to favourable meteorological conditions.
“Therefore, keeping in view the disruptive nature of restrictions under Stage-III of revised GRAP impacting a large number of stakeholders and public as well as considering the trend of improvement in the average AQI of Delhi and also the forecasts by IMD/ IITM indicating the likelihood of the overall air quality of Delhi to stay in lower end of ‘Very Poor’/ ‘Poor’ category in the coming days, the CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP today unanimously decided to revoke all actions under Stage-III of revised GRAP in the entire NCR, with immediate effect,” it explained.
Construction and Demolition (C&D) project sites and industrial units etc., which have been issued specific closure orders on account of violations/ non-compliances of various statutory directions, rules, guidelines etc. are not allowed to resume their operations without any specific order to this effect from the Commission.
– global bihari bureau
