GRAP Stage III curbs revoked in Delhi NCR as air quality improves

The Centre on Monday ordered the revocation of anti-pollution restrictions under Stage-III of GRAP in the entire Delhi-NCR with immediate effect.

The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, met on January 1 following improvement in air quality.

The sub-committee of CAQM revoked the Stage-III of GRAP in view of the forecasts by the IMD/IITM for meteorological conditions and air quality index of Delhi, officials said.

According to the forecast, the AQI of Delhi has been progressively improving and has been recorded as 346 at 4:O0 PM which is about 55 AQI points below the threshold for invoking the GRAP Stage-III actions (Delhi AQI 401-450) and there is a likelihood of sustaining the improvement in AQI.

Furthermore, 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, an official statement by the CAQM said.

However, actions under Stage-I to Stage-II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) shall remain invoked and be implemented, monitored and reviewed by all agencies concerned in the entire NCR, it added.

The commission has asked agencies to keep strict vigil and especially intensify measures under Stage-I and II of GRAP in order to obviate the implementation of Stage-III of GITAP actions.

The C and D project sites and industrial units that have been issued specific closure orders on account of violations/ non-compliances of various statutory directions, rules, and guidelines will not be allowed to resume their operations without any specific order to this effect from the Commission.

The CAQM invoked actions under GRAP Stage-III last year on December 22 amid deteriorating air quality in Delhi as the AQI level slipped into the 'Severe' category for several days.