GRAP-III restrictions revoked in Delhi NCR
New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Thursday revoked Stage III restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR after a marginal improvement in air quality, though the national capital continued to breathe “very poor” air, according to official data.
In an order, the CAQM said Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) improved to 332 on Thursday, prompting the rollback of Stage III curbs. “Considering the overall improvement in air quality and forecasts, Stage III of GRAP is hereby revoked with immediate effect,” the order said, adding that measures under Stages I and II will remain in force.
Despite the relaxation, pollution levels remained elevated. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that Delhi’s overall 24-hour average AQI stood at 313 on Thursday, placing it in the “very poor” category. Under GRAP, air quality is classified into four stages: ‘poor’ (AQI 201-300), ‘very poor’ (301-400), ‘severe’ (401-450) and ‘severe plus’ (above 450). As per CPCB’s broader scale, AQI 0-50 is ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’ and 401-500 ‘severe’.
Officials noted that the CAQM had already lifted Stage IV curbs on Tuesday as the capital’s air quality showed signs of improvement.
Relief may be on the way, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting thunderstorms and rain on Friday due to an ongoing western disturbance. The IMD said the region is likely to witness generally cloudy skies, one or two spells of light rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph during early morning to forenoon hours, followed by another spell of very light to light rain towards afternoon or evening. A yellow alert has been issued for thunderstorms and rain, while shallow fog is likely during morning hours.
Station-wise, Jahangirpuri recorded the worst AQI at 385. The Sameer app showed 29 stations in the “very poor” category and nine in the “poor” range.
The Decision Support System (DSS) attributed 16.2 per cent of Delhi’s pollution load to the transport sector, followed by Delhi and peripheral industries at 12.8 per cent. Construction contributed 2 per cent, waste burning 1.4 per cent and road dust 1 per cent. Among NCR districts, Jhajjar was the highest contributor at 17.3 per cent.
Air Quality and Weather Forecasting System (AQWS) projections indicate air quality may remain “moderate” on January 23 and 24, before slipping to “poor” on January 25.
