New Delhi, the capital city of India, is extremely populated, and pollution is one of its main problems. A few months before Diwali last year, the city’s air pollution started to worsen, and the air got so poisonous that the citizens began to risk their health seriously.
The government was forced to impose limitations, including GRAP 3. When the city’s AQI levels decreased, these limitations were lifted; however, as the temperature dropped and there was a lot of fog, the AQI levels also increased, returning the pollution to “severe.” The state government has reimposed GRAP 3 limitations.
As previously stated, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) stated that GRAP-3 limitations in the nation’s capital on Sunday, and the air quality in Delhi has returned to “severe.” All non-essential construction activities and the use of BS-III gasoline and BS-IV diesel cars in the Delhi-NCR region are still subject to GRAP-3 limitations.
The committee decided to immediately apply GRAP Stage-III limits (the “severe” air quality index (AQI) range) to stop further damage since they expected a lengthy period of bad air quality. Restrictions include not allowing non-essential building work to be done and not allowing BS III gasoline and BS IV diesel four-wheelers to be driven in the area.
The ban does not apply to construction projects of national significance, national security or defence-related projects, hospitals, railroads, metro rail, airports, interstate bus terminals, highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, electricity transmission, pipelines, sanitation, and water supply.
With immediate effect, the Subcommittee resolves to implement an 8-point action plan throughout the whole NCR following Stage III of the updated GRAP.
The air pollution reduction strategy in the area is known as the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). It divides activities into four phases: Stage I – ‘Poor’ (AQI 201-300); Stage II – ‘Very Poor’ (AQI 301-400); Stage III – ‘Severe’ (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV – ‘Severe Plus’ (AQI>450).
