‘Delhi's air quality to improve in 2-3 days; GRAP 3 will continue’: Gopal Rai

Rai also informed that the restrictions under GRAP stage four have been modified and now include a ban on BS 3 petrol and BS 4 diesel vehicles.

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Thursday said that the air quality in the national capital is expected to improve from the ‘very poor’ category in the next two to three days, adding that the city government will be continuing with the ban on certain vehicles under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage three regulations.

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai

“Under GRAP III, BS 3 petrol and BS 4 diesel vehicles are still banned…Scientists are saying that the air quality will improve in the coming 2-3 days. As per the present conditions, it was decided that GRAP III regulations will continue in Delhi for now,” Rai told news agency PTI.

Rai also informed that the restrictions under GRAP stage four have been modified and now include a ban on BS 3 petrol and BS 4 diesel vehicles with an All India Permit (AIP). “If Delhi air quality deteriorates in the future and GRAP IV is invoked again, such vehicles will be banned from entering the national capital,” he said.

On Thursday, Delhi and its adjoining NCR remained in the ‘very poor’ category for a sixth day with a 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 389. As per the data from the CPCB, the AQI at Anand Vihar was at 387 (very poor); ITO was at 343 (very poor); Wazirpur was at 422 (severe), and at RK Puram it was 415 ( severe).

Notably, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and 401 and 500 severe.

Meanwhile, the national capital on Thursday recorded the season's lowest minimum temperature at 9.2 degrees Celsius - two notches below the season's average. On Wednesday, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 10.6 degrees Celsius.

(With inputs from PTI)