Major relief for citizens: The CAQM lifts GRAP Stage 3 restrictions across Delhi-NCR as the Air Quality Index (AQI) improves from ‘Severe’. Construction and BS-III/BS-IV vehicle bans are revoked, but agencies intensify Stage 1 and Stage 2 pollution control measures to prevent backsliding.
Delhi GRAP Stage 3 lifted construction ban BS4 vehicles
The persistent veil of smog that has choked the National Capital Region (NCR) recently saw a small, but significant, crack of relief. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) announced the immediate revocation of all restrictive measures enforced under GRAP Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan. This pivotal decision comes as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) for Delhi-NCR has shown a sustained and welcome improvement, pulling the air quality out of the perilous ‘Severe’ category.
The Sub-Committee for GRAP, after a thorough review of the latest pollution data provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and future forecasts from expert agencies like the IMD, confirmed that the AQI level has dipped below the critical 401 mark, which serves as the threshold for triggering Stage III. With the AQI currently registering in the lower end of the ‘Very Poor’ category (AQI 301–400), the stringent, emergency-level mandates are no longer deemed necessary.
For thousands of daily commuters and businesses, the lifting of GRAP Stage 3 restrictions provides immediate respite. Most notably, the ban on non-essential construction and demolition (C&D) activities across the region stands withdrawn. This action is crucial for reviving livelihoods in the vast construction sector, which employs a massive workforce and is a key driver of the region’s economy. Similarly, the highly contentious restriction on the plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel light motor vehicles in Delhi and NCR is now revoked. This relief is especially important for private vehicle owners and commercial operators who had been forced to ground their cars and goods carriers, impacting logistics and personal mobility.
