GRAP Stage III enforced after air pollution worsens in Delhi; find out what is banned and what is allowed

After air pollution levels in the national capital worsened, authorities enforced Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect on Tuesday. The move came after Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) slipped into the ‘severe’ category for the first time this season, rising sharply from 362 on Monday to 425 (as of 9 am) on Tuesday.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s Sameer app, at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, 34 out of Delhi’s 39 active monitoring stations recorded ‘severe’ AQI levels; several at the higher end of the range. The AQI touched 462 in Bawana, 460 in Wazirpur, and 452 in both Mundka and Punjabi Bagh.

Advertisement

For context, an AQI between 51 and 100 is classified as ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 as ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 as ‘poor’, 301 to 400 as ‘very poor’, and above 400 as ‘severe’.

GRAP Stage III Implemented in Delhi: What’s Allowed and What’s Banned

What’s Allowed:

* Essential public infrastructure projects, such as those related to railways, metro construction, airports, defence, sanitation, and healthcare, are allowed to continue. However, strict dust and waste management guidelines must be followed.
* Vehicles transporting essential goods or providing emergency services are exempt from restrictions.
* Online classes for students up to Class 5 are permitted to ensure continuity in education.

What’s Banned:

* A complete ban has been imposed on all non-essential construction and demolition activities, including earth excavation, piling, laying of sewer lines and electric cables through open trenches, and the operation of Ready-Mix Concrete (RMC) batching plants.
* All private BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel light motor vehicles (four-wheelers) are banned from operating in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Noida.
* Non-essential diesel-run BS-IV medium goods vehicles and BS-IV or lower diesel light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi are prohibited, except those engaged in essential services or goods transport.
* Private companies have been advised to implement work-from-home or hybrid models to reduce vehicular emissions.
* Physical classes up to Class 5 have been suspended, with schools directed to shift to online mode.