NEW DELHI: After 16 days of ban, construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR will resume as the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Monday decided to revoke the curbs under stage III of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
However, the restrictions under GRAP I and II will continue, they added. “Keeping in view improvement in the AQI of Delhi-NCR, the GRAP Sub-Committee accordingly decided to revoke Stage III of the GRAP in NCR with immediate effect,” a statement issued by the CAQM said.
“The C&D project sites and industrial units which have been issued specific closure orders on account of violations/ non-compliances of various statutory directions under no circumstances shall resume their operations without any specific order to this effect from the CAQM,” it stated.
All C&D activities, expect projects of public and national importance, were banned from October 29 in Delhi-NCR. According to the officials, the roll-back of stage III curbs was decided after noting an improvement in the air quality from ‘very poor” to ‘poor’ category and no steep degradation in pollution levels in coming days, said officials.
As per the dynamic model and weather meteorological forecast, wind conditions are favourable and the overall AQI in Delhi is likely to improve and stay in ‘poor’ category in the coming days, it said.
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board, the overall AQI of Delhi has been progressively improving from 346 recorded on Friday to 294 on Monday, which is about 100 AQI points below the threshold for invoking the GRAP Stage III actions.
Meanwhile, the central pollution watchdog has asked implementing agencies to intensify all actions as envisaged under Stage I along with Stage II. The government also has decided not to extend the curbs on plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles in the capital. The restrictions on vehicles were in place till November 13 as part of the curbs under Stage 3 of GRAP.
The transport department reviewed the situation on Monday and decided that the curbs will not be extended. “Considering the recent improvement in the air quality, the restrictions imposed for plying of BS III petrol and BS IV diesel LMVs (four wheelers) in Delhi-NCR are hereby revoked with immediate effect till further orders,” said officials.
‘Overall AQI likely to stay in poor category’
According to the officials, the roll-back of stage III curbs was decided after noting an improvement in the air quality from ‘very poor” to ‘poor’ category, said officials. As per the dynamic model and weather meteorological forecast, the overall AQI is likely to improve and stay in ‘poor’ category