Delhi-NCR enters GRAP Stage II as air quality hits very poor category
The Commission for Air Quality Management implemented stricter pollution controls after the city's air quality index reached 324 on Monday.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) implemented Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR on Monday. According to Moneycontrol, the decision followed a sharp rise in the Air Quality Index (AQI), which climbed from 117 on October 31 to 261 on November 1, before reaching 324 on November 2.
The CAQM attributed this decline to unfavourable meteorological conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) have forecast that the AQI will remain in the 'very poor' category in the coming days.
Under the Stage II restrictions, authorities must intensify dust control and promote public transport. The Financial Express reported that municipal bodies are directed to perform daily mechanical and vacuum sweeping of specific roads, while parking fees will also increase.
The CAQM's Sub-Committee on GRAP made the decision during a meeting on November 2. Stage II measures include stricter dust management and directions for Resident Welfare Associations to provide electric heaters to staff to prevent the open burning of waste.
Earlier, under Stage I, petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI emission standards were barred from entering the capital. Electric and CNG vehicles, as well as BS-VI compliant vehicles, remain exempt from these entry rules.
On the first day of the Winter Action Plan, Delhi authorities collected Rs 68.4 lakh in penalties and environmental compensation. This included Rs 56.6 lakh for Pollution Under Control Certificate violations and Rs 9.8 lakh for construction and demolition-related offences, according to Moneycontrol.