• Source:JND
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Delhi Air Pollution: Amid a sharp dip in the air quality due to unfavourable meteorological conditions, the Centre's air quality panel for Delhi-NCR on Monday invoked restrictive measures under stage three of the air pollution control plan. The 24-hour average air quality index of the national capital, recorded at 4 pm daily, stood at 379. 

At a review meeting, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) noted that Delhi's air quality index (AQI) breached the 350 mark on Monday afternoon. It also noted that the AQI may worsen owing to extremely calm wind and "buildup of an inversion layer adversely affecting the vertical mixing height", the height above the surface throughout which a pollutant can be dispersed.

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What Is GRAP?

The Graded Response Action Plan was introduced in 2017 by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). It provides a structured approach to combat air pollution in Delhi-NCR.

GRAP consists of four stages, each based on the Air Quality Index (AQI):

Stage 1 consists of poor AQI (201-300)
Stage 2 consists of Very Poor AQI (301-400)
Stage 3 consists of severe AQI (401-450)
Stage 4 consists of severe plus AQI

What Are The Restrictions Under GRAP 3

According to the revised plan, the schools and colleges in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar are mandatorily required to shift classes up to Class V to hybrid mode under GRAP Stage III. The students and parents will have the option to choose online education wherever it is available. 

Under stage 3, a ban is also imposed on the non-essential diesel-operated medium goods vehicles with BS-IV or older standards within Delhi.  Non-essential diesel light commercial vehicles of BS-IV or older standards, registered outside Delhi, are also not allowed to enter the city. Earlier, such restrictions were only applicable on the BS-III vehicles.

The Delhi and the NCR state government have also been directed to stagger timings for public offices and municipal bodies under stage III. Centre may also decide on a similar staggered timing for its offices in the Delhi-NCR region. 

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The unfavourable meteorological conditions, combined with the vehicular emissions, paddy-straw burning, firecrackers, and other local pollution sources, contribute to hazardous air quality levels in Delhi-NCR during winters. According to doctors, breathing in the polluted air of Delhi is equivalent to the harmful effects of smoking approximately 10 cigarettes a day.

Prolonged exposure to high levels of pollution can cause or exacerbate respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and dramatically raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, they said.

(With input from agencies)