The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has revoked the Graded Response Action Plan - Stage I (GRAP-I) in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) with immediate effect after air quality improved in the city. The decision came after Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI), on Saturday, March 29, clocked 153 as per the daily bulletin provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The CAQM said that the AQI of the national capital showed significant improvement due to strong surface winds and improved meteorological conditions prevailing in Delhi-NCR. “AQI of Delhi has shown significant improvement due to strong surface winds and improved meteorological conditions prevailing in Delhi-NCR.
Further, the forecast by IMD/IITM also predicts AQI to mainly remain in the ‘Moderate’ category in the coming days,” CAQM said in a statement. “Therefore, keeping in view this trend of improvement in the overall AQI of Delhi, the CAQM Sub-Committee unanimously decided to revoke Stage-I of the extant schedule of GRAP in the entire NCR, with immediate effect,” it added.
“All the agencies concerned are also required to take note of various actions and the targeted timelines as envisaged in the comprehensive policy issued by the Commission to curb air pollution in the NCR and take appropriate actions accordingly in the field, particularly the dust mitigation measures for C&D activities, Roads/Open areas, which becomes a pre-dominant factor in the coming months determining the air quality in Delhi-NCR,” CAQM further said. “The Sub-Committee shall be keeping a close watch on the air quality scenario and review the situation from time to time for further appropriate decision depending upon the air quality in Delhi and the forecast made by IMD/ IITM,” CAQM stated in the statement.
GRAP is essentially a set of guidelines and measures that should be implemented if there is any deterioration in air quality beyond a certain limit. For the Delhi NCR region, GRAP has been classified for 4 different stages of adverse air quality: Stage I - 'poor' (AQI 201-300); Stage II - 'very poor (AQI 301-400); Stage III -'severe' (AQI 401-450) and; Stage IV - 'severe +' (AQI >450).