Urgent Delhi air quality update: The CAQM has revised GRAP Stage 3 rules, implementing tough Stage 4 measures (like potential 50% WFH for offices). Understand the new pollution curbs now active in Delhi-NCR and how the stricter AQI thresholds impact daily life.
Delhi Pollution Curbs GRAP Stage 3 Revised Rules
In a proactive and necessary move to prevent the Delhi-NCR air quality from plunging further into the ‘Severe’ category, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has significantly tightened the emergency response playbook known as the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Facing stubbornly persistent ‘Very Poor’ air quality—with the Air Quality Index (AQI) hovering around the 350-400 mark—the central panel has taken the unprecedented step of enforcing several GRAP Stage 4 measures even while the region is officially under Stage 3.
This revised schedule reflects a shift towards a more precautionary and immediate response to the public health crisis engulfing the National Capital Region. The move signals that authorities are no longer waiting for the AQI to cross the 450-mark to trigger the harshest restrictions; instead, they are deploying them earlier to curb the toxic smog buildup before it spirals out of control.
