Delhi’s air quality reaches ‘severe plus’ level, GRAP 4 restrictions enforced

Delhi’s air quality plunged to the ‘severe plus’ category on Monday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 484, triggering stricter pollution control measures. These include a ban on truck entries and the suspension of public construction activities, which came into effect in the morning.

The dense, toxic smog severely reduced visibility, recorded at just 150 metres at Safdarjung airport, according to officials.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that Delhi’s AQI at 8 am stood at 484, the highest this season. It had climbed from 441 at 4 pm on Sunday to 457 by 7 pm due to unfavourable weather conditions.

Following the AQI surpassing the critical threshold of 450, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) implemented Stage-IV restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR.

Under these restrictions, truck entry into Delhi is prohibited except for those carrying essential goods or using clean fuels like LNG, CNG, BS-VI diesel, or electric vehicles. Similarly, non-essential light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi are banned unless they run on CNG, BS-VI diesel, or are electric. Delhi-registered BS-IV or older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles are also barred, except those providing essential services.

Construction activities related to public infrastructure such as highways, roads, flyovers, power lines, and pipelines have been halted. Additionally, the CAQM has advised NCR offices to operate at 50% capacity, with the remaining workforce working remotely.

The Delhi government has directed schools to suspend in-person classes for students, except for those in classes 10 and 12, starting Monday.

An AQI exceeding 400 is categorised as ‘severe,’ posing risks to healthy individuals and those with pre-existing health conditions.

Introduced in 2017, GRAP is a framework of anti-pollution measures activated based on the air quality in Delhi-NCR. It categorises air quality into four stages: Stage I (‘poor,’ AQI 201-300), Stage II (‘very poor,’ AQI 301-400), Stage III (‘severe,’ AQI 401-450), and Stage IV (‘severe plus,’ AQI above 450).

On Monday, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 16.2°C, 3.9°C above normal, while the maximum temperature is forecasted to reach 27°C, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The IMD also predicted very dense fog during the day.

(With inputs from PTI)