NEW DELHI: The ban on private construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR was reinstated on Sunday after The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage III measures under Graded Respinse Action Plan (GRAP) to control air pollution in the region.
On Sunday, Delhi recorded Air Quality Index (AQI) of 407, according to Central Pollution Control Board data. The sudden deterioration prompted an emergency meeting of the GRAP sub-committee under the Central panel.
“The AQI in Delhi has slipped into the ‘severe’ category owing to the calm wind and stable atmospheric conditions. Therefore, in an effort to prevent further deterioration of the air quality, the sub-committee has decided that all actions as envisaged under Stage III of the Grap be implemented, with immediate effect in NCR...,” a CAQM statement said.
However, essential development projects concerning national security, defence, railways, metro rail and healthcare among others have been kept out of the ambit of the ban.