NEW DELHI: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has announced the implementation of Stage-4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the Delhi-NCR region, starting on Monday, due to a significant increase in the Air Quality Index (AQI), which reached 457 pm in the evening.
The restrictions include a ban on the entry of trucks and a temporary suspension ofconstruction activities on public projects. On Sunday, Delhi’s AQI deteriorated, recording a value of 441 at 4 pm, which then rose to 457 by 7 pm,making it the second most polluted city in the country.
Trucks will not be permitted to enter the capital unless they are carrying essential goods or are using clean fuels such as LNG, CNG, BS-VI diesel, or areelectric.
In addition, non-essential light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi will be prohibited, with exceptions for electric vehicles (EVs), CNG vehicles, and BS-VI diesel vehicles.
The panel announced that Delhi-registered BS-IV or older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles are banned, except for those used in essential services. As part of the restrictions, all construction activities—such as highways, roads, flyovers, power lines, pipelines, and other public projects—have been suspended.
Schools have been instructed to shift to online classes for students in Classes 6 to 9 and Class 11. It has also been recommended that offices in the National Capital Region (NCR) operate at 50% capacity, with the remainder of employees working from home.
Furthermore, work-from-home options may be introduced for central government employees, according to the panel. State governments may also choose to close colleges, limit non-essential commercial activities, and implement odd-even vehicle rules if necessary.
Residents woke up to toxic air conditions in the morning, with the air quality crossing the ‘‘severe” category, which poses risks to human health.