NEW DELHI: With the air quality in Delhi turning ‘severe’ — the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has decided to re-impose restrictions under phase III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
This includes a ban on plying BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers. Car owners may be fined Rs 20,000 for violating the ban. This measure will be enforced in Delhi and the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) on Sunday stood at 447.Strict restrictions have also been imposed on private construction in Delhi-NCR. The CAQM, a statutory body responsible for forming air pollution reduction strategies for the region and their implementation, noted a significant rise in Delhi’s AQI (458 and 457 at 10 am and 11 am) due to unfavourable climatic conditions and local pollution sources.
Anticipating a prolonged period of severe air quality, the committee decided to implement the restrictions.
“CAQM Sub-Committee for operationalisation of GRAP called on an emergency meeting Sunday morning in view of sudden deterioration of air quality from last evening. It decided to invoke 8 point action plan as per Stage-III of revised GRAP in the entire NCR with immediate effect,” the panel said.
On January 1, the Centre revoked the anti-pollution restrictions under Stage-III of GRAP in Delhi-NCR after the AQI improved.