Delhi’s Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, announced the lifting of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-3) in the national capital on Wednesday. However, Rai underscored that the government is trying to ensure the implementation of GRAP-1 and GRAP-2.
“Due to the change in weather during the last two days, there has been a decline in pollution. Commission for Air Quality Management has lifted the restrictions of Grap-3. The ban on BS-3 petrol and BS-4 diesel vehicles and the ban on construction demolition have been lifted. GRAP 3 is imposed when AQI is 400, but it continued despite low AQI because fluctuations were visible in AQI after Diwali. If the wind speed slows down, AQI may increase again, hence GRAP-1 and GRAP-2 should be strictly implemented. For this, directions are being given to all the departments again,” Gopal Rai said.
He further informed about the steps that the government will take in the meantime to curb the pollution in the city.
“The teams which were working at all the 13 hot spots, 60 mobile smog guns will continue to work there. Water sprinkling work will continue on the identified roads every day, through 215 mobile anti-smog vehicles. 591 teams were formed for monitoring at construction sites, they will continue their work. Now since construction work is going on, 14-point dust control measures will have to be followed otherwise they will be closed,” he said.
He also emphasized that 611 teams are working to stop incidents of biomass burning in Delhi.
“There is still a huge increase in PM 2.5 components. The stubble component has now become zero but the biomass burning component is increasing from neighbouring areas. We are taking every step so that the situation of implementing GRAP-3 does not arise again. Currently, the biggest cause of pollution is biomass burning. If there is open burning anywhere, people can complain on the Green Delhi app,” Gopal Rai said.
Meanwhile, The air quality index in the National Capital remains in the ‘poor’ category on Wednesday morning. As per the official data, in the Alipur area and Ashok Vihar, the air quality was recorded as ‘poor’ with AQI readings of 260 and 288, respectively, at 7 a.m.
