NEW DELHI: A ‘yellow’ alert has been issued for Delhi, as dense fog is likely to affect visibility in the national capital on Saturday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The weather office said a cold wave is expected to affect isolated places in the city between January 3 and January 6. Meanwhile, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and Adjoining Areas on Friday revoked curbs imposed under GRAP 3 following improvement in air quality, officials said.
“The AQI of Delhi, which was recorded as 380 on Thursday, has significantly improved and recorded 236 at 4 pm on Friday, exhibiting a trend. Keeping in view the prevailing trend of air quality, the CAQM Sub- Committee on GRAP decides to revoke all actions as envisaged under Stage-3 of the extant GRAP, with immediate effect, in the entire NCR,” the order read.
“All actions under Stages 1 and 2 of extant GRAP to remain in force in NCR,” it added. Non-essential construction and demolition activities are now allowed to restart across Delhi- NCR.
Works such as earthwork, piling, open trenching, welding, painting, plastering, tiling and flooring can also resume, along with the operation of stone crushers, brick kilns and mining activities, subject to compliance with pollution control norms, it further said.
The transport of construction materials, including cement, sand and fly ash, has also been permitted again. Restrictions on vehicles imposed during Stage 3 have been lifted as well.
BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers can return to the roads, while the ban on non-essential diesel-run medium goods vehicles has been withdrawn.
Even as Stage 3 restrictions have been withdrawn, several preventive and control measures under GRAP Stages 1 and 2 will continue to be enforced across the NCR. These include intensified mechanical and vacuum sweeping of identified roads, daily water sprinkling with dust suppressants, especially at hotspots and high-traffic corridors, the order mentioned.