Delhi-NCR Imposes GRAP Stage 1 as AQI Rises to 244
The first pollution curbs of the season come into force as Delhi’s air quality enters the ‘Poor’ category, with restrictions targeting dust, construction and vehicle emissions.
- Delhi-NCR implements GRAP Stage 1 for the season
- AQI reaches 244, entering the ‘Poor’ category
- PUC checks and higher parking charges announced
- Anti-smog guns and mist-spray units deployed across Delhi
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 21st Oct: Delhi-NCR has imposed Stage 1 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for the first time this season after the national capital’s Air Quality Index (AQI) rose to 244, placing it in the ‘Poor’ category.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said Delhi’s AQI climbed sharply from 179, recorded on October 20, to 244 at 2 pm on October 21. Forecasts by the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology indicated that air quality was likely to remain in the ‘Poor’ category over the coming days.
GRAP restrictions are introduced in stages depending on pollution levels. Stage 1 applies when the AQI is between 201 and 300, Stage 2 between 301 and 400, Stage 3 between 401 and 450, and Stage 4 when the AQI exceeds 450.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the government was implementing an 11-point action plan in coordination with the Centre to address pollution. He highlighted measures focused on dust control, electric vehicles, vehicular emissions and identifying local sources of pollution.
Sirsa said vehicles without valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates would not be provided fuel. Parking charges across Delhi would also be doubled, except at Metro parking facilities. Staggered working hours and work-from-home arrangements would be introduced for Municipal Corporation of Delhi and government offices to reduce traffic movement.
Outdoor construction and demolition activities will face restrictions, while open burning remains prohibited. The minister also said 608 anti-smog guns and 1,150 mist-spray units had been deployed across the capital to control dust pollution.
To improve monitoring, an Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) has been established to track construction-related pollution. An artificial intelligence-based traffic management system is also being used to help reduce vehicular emissions.
Stage 1 measures include mechanised road sweeping, water sprinkling, dust control at construction sites, improved waste management and stricter checks on polluting vehicles. The plan also calls for better traffic management and emission controls in industries, power plants and brick kilns.
The latest restrictions mark the beginning of the seasonal pollution-control response as authorities seek to prevent further deterioration in air quality across Delhi-NCR.
