CAQM invokes Stage-II GRAP across NCR as Delhi air quality turns very poor
The Commission for Air Quality Management activated additional pollution-control measures after the city's Air Quality Index reached 324 on Monday.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) activated Stage-II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region (NCR) on Monday. According to reports from Mint and The New Indian Express, the move follows Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) climbing to 324, placing it in the 'very poor' category.
The CAQM sub-committee made the decision after reviewing air quality data and forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM). The commission attributed the decline in air quality to unfavourable meteorological conditions.
Under Stage-II, which applies when the AQI is between 301 and 400, authorities must implement extra measures alongside existing Stage-I protocols. These include increased water sprinkling, mechanical road sweeping, and intensified inspections at construction and demolition sites.
The plan also includes staggered working hours for municipal bodies and government offices in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddha Nagar. Resident Welfare Associations have been asked to provide electric heaters to service staff to prevent the open burning of biomass.
Moneycontrol reported that on the first day of the Winter Action Plan, authorities imposed Rs 68.4 lakh in penalties and fines. This included Rs 56.6 lakh for Pollution Under Control Certificate violations and Rs 2 lakh for border entry restriction breaches, with 1,539 vehicles turned back at borders.