GRAP-IV in Delhi: what is allowed and what is banned in the Capital as toughest anti-pollution measures kick in?

With the Centre invoking the astir stringent exigency measures successful Delhi-NCR to curb aerial pollution, respective curbs including 50% enactment from location successful each workplaces and mandatory Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates for vehicles came into unit aboriginal Thursday (December 18, 2025).

Stage IV of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) brings the strictest restrictions successful Delhi-NCR. This is successful summation to the actions nether Stages I, II and III of GRAP already successful unit by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

The aerial prime successful the nationalist superior remained successful the ‘very poor’ class connected Thursday (December 18), with the aerial prime scale (AQI) recorded astatine 358.

Here’s a database of what stands banned

• Entry of non-Delhi backstage vehicles beneath Bharat Stage-VI, oregon BS-VI emanation standards. BS-VI modular fuel is said to beryllium the world’s cleanest fuel. Exceptions are those carrying indispensable items oregon utilizing cleanable substance (LNG/CNG/BS-VI diesel/electric).
• Vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate volition not beryllium allowed to refuel astatine petrol pumps successful the nationalist capital, starting Thursday (December 18).
• Non-essential airy commercialized vehicles registered extracurricular Delhi volition besides beryllium prohibited, but for EVs and CNG and BS-VI diesel ones.
• Vehicles carrying operation materials are besides not permitted to participate the city.
• All operation and demolition activities are banned, including adjacent linear nationalist projects specified arsenic highways, roads, flyovers, powerfulness transmission lines, pipelines and telecom works, which are different allowed successful little stages.
• All authorities and backstage establishments are required to run with lone 50% unit successful offices, arsenic the Delhi authorities has a lasting bid mandating this whenever GRAP Stage III is invoked.
• Schools are required to tally classes successful a hybrid mode (online and physical) not lone for superior students but besides for higher classes (VI to IX and XI) successful Delhi, with students fixed the enactment to be online wherever feasible.

Generally nether Stage IV, the governments are asked to see further exigency steps, specified arsenic closing colleges and acquisition institutions, shutting non-essential commercialized activities and adjacent introducing odd-even rules for vehicles if the contamination concern worsens further.

Now, here’s a database of what is allowed

• Emergency services and indispensable operations volition not beryllium affected by the ongoing enforcement measures connected petrol and CNG vehicles successful Delhi. These see hospitals, occurrence services, nationalist transport, electricity, contamination power departments, the Forest Department and the Delhi Jal Board.
• Professionals and unit workers progressive successful the said emergency/essential services volition beryllium exempt from the enactment from location rule.

Labour and Employment Minister Kapil Mishra connected Wednesday (December 17) announced a one-time compensation of ₹10,000 for 2,57,244 registered operation workers who mislaid income owed to the suspension of operation and demolition activities nether Stages III and IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).