Stage-III GRAP curbs lifted across NCR as Delhi air quality improves

The Commission for Air Quality Management rescinded Stage-III GRAP measures in the NCR after Delhi's AQI improved from 380 to 236 on January 2.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Friday revoked Stage-III measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region after a marked improvement in Delhi’s air quality.

The Commission for Air Quality Management has lifted Stage-III restrictions across the National Capital Region as Delhi's Air Quality Index showed significant improvement.

According to an official press update, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI), which stood at 380 a day earlier, dropped sharply to 236 by 4 pm on January 2, indicating a consistent downward trend. Taking note of the improvement, the CAQM sub-committee on GRAP decided to withdraw all restrictions mandated under Stage-III with immediate effect across the NCR.

However, the update clarified that preventive and regulatory actions prescribed under GRAP Stages I and II will continue to remain in force to ensure that air quality does not deteriorate again, as winter weather continues to pose challenges. Authorities have urged residents to follow the citizen guidelines prescribed under these stages.

Reacting to the Commission for Air Quality Management’s decision to withdraw Stage III curbs, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa praised Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and said the improvement in air quality is due to sustained action taken on the ground.

"We have intensified action on every major source of pollution - vehicular emissions, industrial waste, dust, and open dumping - while deploying new technology to strengthen our fight. This is not the time to relax. This is the time to double our efforts and consolidate the gains we've made. Each small win fuels our motivation to make Delhi's air cleaner every single day," he said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

(With ANI inputs)