GRAP stage 3 restrictions rolled back

With air pollution in Delhi-NCR ameliorating, the Centre’s air quality panel on Wednesday directed authorities to lift the curbs imposed in Delhi-NCR under stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan, including a ban on non-essential construction and demolition work.

Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index stood at 343 at 4 pm, improving from 385 on Tuesday. An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’. “The forecast by the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology does not suggest that the AQI would slip into the “severe” category in the coming days,” the Commission for Air Quality Management said in an order.

“It is therefore, felt that it is advisable to relax the stringent restrictions and roll back Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect in the entire national capital region (NCR),” the order read.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee advised resident welfare associations, institutions and other establishments to provide electric heaters, blankets and warm clothes to security guards to prevent open burning of biomass as a cold wave sweeps through the Capital. “As you are aware, a severe cold wave is ongoing in Delhi. This leads to open burning by security guards to keep themselves warm. Open burning is a source of air pollution,” the pollution control body said in an advisory.