Delhi Enforces GRAP Stage III as Air Quality Dips to ‘Severe’ Level

Delhi’s air quality has become extremely polluted this time and the overall Air Quality Index has sharply reached to “severe level” for the first time. Because of which, government has imposed Grap 3 with immediate effect to help reduce pollution and protect people’s health.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s AQI became much worse in one day and jumped from 362 on Monday to 425 on Tuesday, which means the air quality is majorly deteriorated. The Sameer App revealed that out of the 39 air monitoring stations in the city, 34 had reported ‘severe’ pollution levels, means the air is much more dangerous to breathe. Some nearing areas were even worse, Bawana recorded 462, Wazirpur 460, while Mundka and Punjabi Bagh each reported 452.

Key Measures Under GRAP Stage III

Delhi’s government has put some strict rules and guidelines to control the worsening of air pollution, here are the restrictions given below:

§  All non-essential construction and demolition work is stopped. This includes digging, piling, laying pipes and electric cables, and the use of Ready-Mix Concrete (RMC) plants.

§  Private BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers are banned in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Noida.

§  Diesel trucks and vans from outside Delhi that are not carrying essential goods or doing emergency work are also ban

§  Private offices have been advised to let employees work from home or use hybrid models to reduce traffic and number of vehicles on road.

§  Schools up to Class 5 have been asked to close temporarily and start providing online classes.

§  Important projects such as railways, metro works, airports, defence, sanitation, and healthcare are not restricted, but they are instructed to follow dust and waste control regulations strictly.