
Delhi’s air quality has sharply declined to “severe” level and on Friday, the sub-committee of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) swiftly implemented stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) in Delhi-NCR.

The immediate measures included a directive to NCR states to prohibit the operation of BS-3 petrol and BS-4 diesel four-wheelers in Delhi, as well as in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar districts.
Additionally, the ban extended to construction and demolition activities, stone crushers, and mining-related operations. A senior Delhi transport official confirmed that these restrictions would be enforced starting Saturday morning.
On Friday, Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 409, re-entering the ‘severe’ zone after a hiatus of 28 days. Grap 3 measures had previously been in effect from November 2 to 28.
In the wake of Grap 3 implementation, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) empowered state governments in Delhi and NCR to decide on discontinuing physical classes in schools for children up to Class V, favoring online classes instead. The commission urged officials to enhance public transport services and introduce variable rates to encourage off-peak travel.
The directives included a ban on construction and demolition activities, excluding specific categories such as railway services, Metro services, airports, inter-state bus terminals, national security or defence-related projects, hospitals, linear public projects and sanitation projects.
Certain non-polluting and non-dust generating activities like plumbing, interior decoration, electrical works and carpentry were exempted. However, the prohibition on construction and demolition activities raised concerns about its impact on daily-wage labourers.
CAQM attributed the sudden spike in Delhi’s average AQI to unfavourable meteorological conditions, including fog, haze, and low wind speed. The commission emphasized that Grap measures were imposed to address the existing trend of air quality and prevent further deterioration.
Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director of Research and Advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), highlighted the need for stringent efforts to reduce local emissions from key sources, especially during the severe smog episodes typical of late December and early January.