NEW DELHI: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has decided not to impose stricter restrictions under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi for now.
The decision followed a review meeting of the CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP, which evaluated current pollution levels and forecasts from the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
The Sub-Committee observed that although pollution levels remain high, the improving trend and favourable meteorological forecasts suggest there is no immediate need for Stage-III curbs. “Given the consistent decline in AQI and forecasts indicating that air quality will stay in the ‘Very Poor’ category over the next few days, invocation of Stage-III measures is not required at the moment,” it said.
Under GRAP, Stage-III restrictions are enforced when the AQI reaches the ‘Severe’ range (401–450). These include bans on construction and demolition activities, restrictions on polluting industries, and curbs on the use of diesel generators.
For now, measures under Stage I and Stage II will continue across the National Capital Region. These include road dust control, mechanised sweeping, and stricter vehicular emission checks. Officials said the Sub-Committee will continue to closely monitor the situation and impose stricter measures if air quality worsens.