The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Wednesday announced the withdrawal of Stage-3 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR, following an improvement in air quality over the past three days.Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI recorded at 327, and forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology indicate that the air quality will continue to stay in the “very poor” range.Despite the easing of restrictions, the CAQM has stated that measures under Stage-1 and Stage-2 of the revised GRAP, notified on November 21, will remain in force and will be strictly monitored across NCR to prevent any deterioration.According to the CAQM order, the Sub-Committee on GRAP examined the recent air quality trend and noted substantial improvement, prompting the rollback of the November 11 directive that imposed Stage-3 restrictions.Restrictions WithdrawnDelhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa confirmed that “Measures under GRAP Stage-2 will now be applicable across the city.”With Stage-3 lifted, the earlier 50% work-from-home mandate for offices has been removed, and the hybrid class system in schools has also ended, Sirsa said in a post on X.What Stage-3 Restrictions IncludedStage-3 restrictions previously involved:Ban on non-essential construction and demolition activities, stone crushing, and mining.Curbs on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar.Ban on older diesel goods vehicles.Schools up to Class 5 shifting to hybrid learning and offices operating with reduced staff.Sites shut for violations will not be allowed to restart operations unless specifically approved by the commission.The CAQM has instructed all authorities to maintain “strict vigilance” and intensify enforcement under Stage-1 and Stage-2.GRAP Air Quality CategoriesDelhi-NCR implements GRAP during winter when pollution peaks, based on the following AQI stages:Stage 1 (Poor): 201–300Stage 2 (Very Poor): 301–400Stage 3 (Severe): 401–450Stage 4 (Severe Plus): 450+A combination of adverse weather conditions, vehicle emissions, stubble burning, firecrackers, and local pollution sources often pushes Delhi-NCR’s air quality into hazardous levels in winter.[With PTI inputs]
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