Grap Stage 3 curbs back in Delhi-NCR, likely to stay till weekend

Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI on Wednesday was 365 (“very poor”), worse off by nearly 100 points from a reading of 276 (“very poor”) recorded a day before, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily bulletin

New Delhi

A lightly foggy morning gave way to a warm day. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

Curbs under Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) were imposed in Delhi-NCR on Wednesday due to a deterioration in the air quality index (AQI) to the “very poor” category, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said, bringing in bans on private construction and demolition activities, hybrid sessions for students up to Class 5, and restrictions on BS-3 petrol and BS-4 diesel four-wheelers, among others.

Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI on Wednesday was 365 (“very poor”), worse off by nearly 100 points from a reading of 276 (“very poor”) recorded a day before, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) daily bulletin.

“The AQI of Delhi which was recorded as 276 on January 28, exhibited a sharp increasing trend and was 365 at 4pm on January 29, owing to variable direction, calm winds, smoggy situation, low mixing height and ventilation coefficient for dispersion of pollutants,” CAQM said in a statement.

It said forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) predicted a similar situation to persist in the coming days. “Thus, the CAQM subcommittee has taken the call to invoke all actions as envisaged under Stage 3 of the extant schedule of Grap, with immediate effect, in the entire NCR,” CAQM said.

The Supreme Court on December 5, 2024, directed CAQM to invoke Grap Stage 3 when the AQI crosses 350, against the previous threshold of 400.

Other restrictions under Stage 3 of Grap include a prohibition on non-essential diesel-operated BS-4 medium goods vehicles (MGVs), and a ban on BS-4 and lower diesel-operated light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi, except for those carrying essential goods or providing essential services.

The orders are effective for Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddh Nagar districts.

Meanwhile, the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi forecasted the AQI to stay in the “very poor” category for the next few days. “The air quality is likely to be in ‘very poor’ category from Wednesday to Friday. The outlook for subsequent six days is that the air quality is likely to be in very poor to poor category,” the AQEWS bulletin said.

Mercury to start rising once again

A western disturbance started impacting northwest India on Wednesday, with easterly winds leading to a spike in temperatures.

Delhi’s maximum temperature was 25.5 degrees Celsius (°C) on Wednesday, which was three degrees above normal and almost the same as 25.4°C recorded a day earlier. Forecasts show the maximum will hover between 24°C and 27°C till the weekend.

The minimum temperature also rose marginally in the past 24 hours, clocking at 6.4°C, two notches below normal but up from 5.6°C recorded a day earlier. A forecast of cloudy skies will lead to warmer nights and the minimum is likely to rise to 10-12°C by the weekend.