GRAP-2 pollution curbs imposed in Delhi-NCR as air quality turns very poor

The Commission for Air Quality Management imposed Stage 2 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan in Delhi and the National Capital Region on Monday, after air quality dropped to the "very poor" category.

The commission said Delhi's Air Quality Index rose from 117 on Saturday to 261 on Sunday, and then to 324 on Monday. It blamed "unfavourable meteorological conditions" for the rise. By 6.05 pm, the city's average AQI had reached 327 according to the Sameer application run by the Central Pollution Control Board.

Of the 58 active monitoring stations, 38 recorded "very poor" levels. Three stations recorded readings above 400, which falls in the "severe" range. Jahangirpuri in northwestern Delhi had the worst reading, at 447, followed by Rohini at 420 and Punjab Bagh at 415.

GRAP is a set of incremental measures that are triggered to stop air quality from getting worse once it reaches a set threshold. Stage 2 includes mechanical or vacuum sweeping of roads, water sprinkling, higher parking fees to discourage private vehicle use, more frequent Metro services, and more CNG and electric buses.

On the scale, a reading between 0 and 50 is "good", 51 to 100 is "satisfactory" and 101 to 200 is "moderate". A reading between 201 and 300 is "poor", and the "very poor" band sits above that. The higher the index, the worse the air.

The High Court has refused to stay curbs on vehicles that are not BS-VI compliant. The Supreme Court has allowed certified green crackers to be used for two days before Diwali. Vehicle checks at borders caused long traffic jams on Monday.

How long the Stage 2 curbs will remain in force is not yet known, and it is not yet known whether air quality is expected to improve in the coming days.