New Delhi: Considering the significant improvement in Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI), the GRAP Sub-Committee revoked State – III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas (CAQM) in the entire National Capital Region with immediate effect today. This allows petrol and diesel cars, respectively with BS-III and BS-IV engines, to ply again on roads. However, Construction and Demolition(C&D) project sites and industrial units which were issued specific closure orders on account of violations/non-compliance of various statutory directions, rules, guidelines etc. are not allowed to resume their operations without any specific order to this effect from the Commission.
While the forecast by IMD/ IITM also do not indicate the average air quality of Delhi to move to the ‘Severe’ category in the coming days, all actions under Stage-I to Stage-II of 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 slip further to the ‘Severe’ category in the coming days.
Today, Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) clocked 346 as per the daily AQI Bulletin provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Given the significant improvement in the average air quality of Delhi, the GRAP Sub-Committee for operationalization of actions under GRAP reviewed the current air quality scenario in the region as well as the forecasts for meteorological conditions and air quality index made available by the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), noted that the forecast does not indicate any deterioration further and there is a likelihood of the AQI improving while remaining in Very Poor/ Poor category in next few days.
CAQM Sub-Committee for operationalization of actions under GRAP in its earlier meetings had invoked actions under Stage-I, Stage-II, Stage-III and Stage-IV of revised GRAP on October 6 and 21, November 2 and 5, 2023 respectively, and on periodic review of the air quality of Delhi and forecast provided by IMD/ IITM, the Sub-Committee had revoked actions under Stage-IV and Stage-III of GRAP on November 18, and 28, 2023, respectively and invoked actions under Stage-III of GRAP again on 22.12.2023.
The Commission again urged all agencies responsible for the implementation of various actions listed under Stages – I & II of GRAP and citizens/ residents to strictly implement and follow respectively, the provisions/ charter of GRAP under Stage I and Stage II to obviate the need for re-imposition of Stage-III of GRAP in NCR.
The Sub-Committee shall be keeping a close watch on the air quality scenario and may take appropriate decisions depending on the air quality, as recorded from time to time, and the forecasts made available by IMD/IITM to this effect.
– global bihari bureau
