The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Wednesday revoked Stage III restrictions of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR after a marginal improvement in pollution levels, while retaining measures under Stages I and II with stricter enforcement.
The decision came as Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) improved slightly to 327, shifting from the “severe” to the “very poor” category. The capital had been reeling under toxic air for several consecutive days, prompting the Stage III curbs last week.
With the rollback, activities such as non-essential construction, entry restrictions on certain heavy vehicles, and bans on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars in parts of NCR have been lifted. However, CAQM clarified this is not a full relaxation, urging agencies to ensure rigorous compliance with existing Stage I and II controls to prevent another spike.
Ongoing measures include mechanised road cleaning, water sprinkling, strict dust control at construction sites, checks on industrial emissions, and use of anti-smog guns at key pollution hotspots. Citizens have been urged to use public transport, carpool, and avoid outdoor activities during peak pollution hours.
Officials said the decision followed a detailed review of real-time air quality data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), which predict that air quality will likely remain in the “very poor” category for the next few days due to low wind speeds and winter inversion.
The CAQM noted that local emissions from vehicles and industries, combined with calm winds and falling temperatures, continue to trap pollutants despite a reduction in crop residue burning across neighbouring states.
Stage III restrictions were imposed on November 20 when Delhi’s AQI crossed the 400-mark in multiple locations. The winter trend, as in previous years, has seen sharp deterioration in air quality following Diwali and the early wedding season, despite ongoing efforts under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and GRAP framework.
Authorities reiterated their appeal for citizen cooperation to help sustain the improvement and avoid a relapse into the “severe” zone.
