New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) lifted curbs on car movement and restrictions on activities under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect after Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) improved today.
All actions under Stages II & I of the revised GRAP shall, however, remain invoked and be implemented, monitored and reviewed by all agencies concerned in the entire NCR and agencies shall keep strict vigil and especially intensify measures under Stages II & I of revised GRAP to obviate the need for re-implementation of Stage-III of revised GRAP actions in NCR.
Under GRAP III, operation of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi and parts of the NCR like Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Noida, were banned since December 16, 2024. Along with them, restrictions will be revoked on the following activities also with immediate effect:
Construction & Demolition activities:
- Earthwork for excavation and filling including boring & drilling works.
- Piling works.
- All demolition works.
- Laying of sewer line, water line, drainage and electric cabling etc. by open trench system.
- Brick/masonry works.
- Operation of RMC batching plant.
- Major welding and gas-cutting operations.
Painting, polishing and varnishing works etc.
Cement, Plaster / other coating.
Cutting/grinding and fixing of tiles, stones and other flooring materials.
Road construction activities and major repairs.
Transfer, loading/unloading of dust-generating materials like cement, fly ash, bricks, sand, murram, pebbles, crushed stone
etc. anywhere within/outside the project sites.
Movement of vehicles carrying construction materials on unpaved roads.
Any transportation of demolition waste.
Classes in schools for children up to class V would become regular instead of being conducted in hybrid mode.
However, Construction and Demolition (C&D) project sites and industrial units etc. which have been issued specific closure orders on account of violations/ non-compliances with various statutory directions, rules, guidelines etc. under no circumstances shall resume their operations without any specific order to this effect from the Commission.
While GRAP Stage-III has been revoked, keeping in view the winter season when weather conditions may not be always favourable and to ensure that the AQI levels do not slip further, the Commission requested citizens to strictly adhere to the citizen charter under GRAP Stages II & I.
– global bihari bureau
