As the air quality in Delhi reached a 'severe' level on Wednesday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) decided to reimpose Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
On January 28, Delhi's AQI was recorded at 276, but it surged to 365 by 4 PM on Wednesday. The contributing factors include stagnant air, fog conditions, and a lack of dispersal for pollutants.
As long as GRAP-3 is enacted, construction and demolition in the capital will cease. Additionally, all non-essential mining activities will be suspended, and restrictions will be placed on interstate buses that are non-electric, non-CNG, and non-BS-VI diesel. Schools up to Class 5 in Delhi-NCR have been advised to close.
Moreover, from today, the use of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers will be prohibited. Commercial vehicle entry into the national capital will also be restricted.
During the winter, the Delhi-NCR region enforces restrictions under the GRAP, which categorizes air quality into four stages - 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 above 450).
