In a significant relief for residents, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) announced on Wednesday the immediate revocation of Stage-III restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR). This decision comes as the region's air quality shows consistent improvement, moving away from the 'severe' category.
What Restrictions Have Been Lifted?
The rollback of GRAP-III means several key restrictions are now lifted. The ban on the plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers has been officially removed. Furthermore, the widespread prohibition on construction and demolition activities across the NCR is no longer in force. Operations for stone crushers and mining activities, which were also halted, can now resume.
Other measures that stand withdrawn include the 50% work-from-home directive for Delhi government and private offices, as well as the order for primary schools (up to class 5) to shift to hybrid mode of learning. The restriction on non-essential medium and light commercial vehicles running on less-cleaner fuels has also been lifted.
Why Was This Decision Taken?
The CAQM stated that the decision was made considering the improving trend in Delhi's average Air Quality Index (AQI) and forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM). These agencies indicated that the AQI is likely to remain in the 'Very Poor' range in the coming days, but not deteriorate to the 'Severe' level.
The commission also acknowledged the disruptive nature of the Stage-III restrictions, which impacted a large number of stakeholders and the general public. The GRAP-III measures were first enforced on November 11 when the AQI crossed the 400 mark, entering the 'severe' zone. Since November 14, however, the air quality has been hovering within the 'very poor' category, improving to 327 on Wednesday from 353 a day earlier.
What Rules Still Apply?
While most curbs are lifted, the commission has issued a crucial caveat. Construction sites that were individually issued closure orders for violating statutory guidelines will not be allowed to resume work without obtaining specific permission from the CAQM.
Delhi's Environment Minister, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, confirmed the development, stating that all measures in the city will now operate strictly according to GRAP-II rules. The CAQM has also urged citizens to continue adhering to the citizen's charter under Stages-I and II of GRAP to prevent any further slippage in air quality, especially with unfavourable winter conditions likely to persist.
According to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, the city's air is predicted to remain in the 'very poor' category for the next few days. In a related development, Delhi also experienced its coldest November night in three years, with the minimum temperature dropping to 8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
