7 months ago
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The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) crossed Delhi-NCR arsenic the city’s aerial prime slipped into the “very poor” category, with the AQI crossing the 300 mark.
The determination came aft the Sub-Committee connected GRAP connected Saturday (October 18, 2025) reviewed the worsening contamination levels and forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), which warned of further deterioration successful the coming days.
“The AQI of Delhi has shown an expanding inclination since greeting and has been recorded arsenic 296 astatine 4 p.m. and 302 astatine 7 p.m.,” the CAQM said, directing authorities to instrumentality each Stage II measures with contiguous effect, successful summation to Stage I actions already successful unit since October 14.
The Centre’s aerial prime sheet besides asked each implementing agencies to support strict vigil, peculiarly connected particulate mitigation and to guarantee compliance with targeted timelines laid down nether the broad argumentation to curb aerial contamination successful NCR.
Under Stage II of GRAP, respective curbs and intensified actions see regular mechanical oregon vacuum sweeping and h2o sprinkling connected identified roads, preferably earlier highest postulation hours, to power dust.
Construction and demolition sites look intensified inspections to guarantee strict enforcement of particulate power measures.
To beforehand cleaner mobility, the GRAP Stage II mandates augmentation of nationalist transport services done further CNG and electrical buses and accrued frequence of metro services, on with differential fare rates to promote off-peak travel.
Resident payment associations (RWAs) are required to supply electrical heaters to unit specified arsenic guards, gardeners and sanitation workers to forestall unfastened burning of biomass and coagulated discarded during winters.
Entry of inter-state buses into Delhi is restricted to those moving connected CNG, EVs oregon BS-VI diesel, excluding tourer buses operating nether all-India permits.
GRAP categorises aerial prime into 4 stages: Stage I (Poor) with AQI betwixt 201 and 300, Stage II (Very Poor) betwixt 301 and 400, Stage III (Severe) betwixt 401 and 450, and Stage IV (Severe Plus) for AQI supra 450.
Unfavourable meteorological conditions, combined with vehicular emissions, paddy-straw burning, firecrackers and different section contamination sources, lend to hazardous aerial prime levels successful Delhi-NCR during winters.
According to doctors, breathing successful the polluted aerial of Delhi is equivalent to the harmful effects of smoking astir 10 cigarettes a day.
Prolonged vulnerability to precocious levels of contamination tin origin oregon exacerbate respiratory problems specified arsenic asthma, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary illness and dramatically rise the hazard of cardiovascular disease.
