Delhi continues to be wrapped in a blanket of smog, with the air quality in the ‘severe’ category for the third consecutive day. With AQI 498, Delhi is the world’s second most polluted city, after Pakistan’s Lahore with AQI 770 recorded at 7 am. IQAir, a Swiss company, ranks major cities based on Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5) data.
In view of the worsening air quality in the national capital, Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) came into force today, following an order by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Thursday.
While GRAP-3 is in effect, construction and demolition works will be halted, all non-essential mining activities will be suspended, and non-electric, non-CNG, and non-BS-VI diesel interstate buses will be restricted. The schools have been ordered to switch to online teaching for students of classes up to 5 in Delhi-NCR.
Key Restrictions Under GRAP-3 in Delhi NCR
The implementation of Stage 3 under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)
introduces targeted restrictions to curb air pollution, particularly from construction
and vehicle emissions.
Construction and Demolition restrictions:Â
- Prohibited Activities: Earthwork, piling, all demolition, open trenching, operation of Ready-Mix Concrete (RMC) plants, major welding, gas-cutting, painting, polishing, plastering, tile/flooring work, waterproofing (excluding minor indoor repairs).
- Material Transport: Transportation of materials like cement, sand, and flyash is restricted. Vehicles carrying such materials must avoid unpaved roads.
- Railway and metro projects
- Airports and bus terminals
- National defense projects
- Healthcare facilities
- Public infrastructure (e.g., highways)
- Sanitation projects (e.g., sewage treatment)
Enhanced vehicle emission norms
GRAP-3 tightens emission norms for vehicles to reduce vehicular pollution:
- BS-III Petrol & BS-IV Diesel Vehicles: Restricted in Delhi and adjacent districts like Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.
- Diesel MGVs: Diesel Medium Goods Vehicles with BS-III standards or below, registered in Delhi, face entry bans unless transporting essential goods.
- Inter-State Buses & Diesel LCVs: Non-electric, non-CNG, and non-BS-VI diesel inter-state buses from NCR states are barred from entering Delhi, along with diesel light commercial vehicles from outside Delhi unless carrying essential goods.
Guidelines for residents
- Opting for walking, cycling, or public transport
- Working from home when possible
- Avoiding coal or wood heating indoors
- Combining errands to reduce vehicle use
- Providing electric heaters to staff to prevent open burning
Trains, Flights Affected
The low visibility conditions in the national capital and surrounding areas due to thick fog delayed several trains and flights on Friday.
As many as 15 trains approaching the New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS) were delayed, said officials, adding that they were running late by 1 hour or more.
Several flights travelling to and from Delhi, Varanasi and Amritsar were also affected due to the unfavourable visibility factor, said the officials.
