After improvement in Delhi’s air quality level, it was decided to lift the restrictions under Phase-III of GRAP
New Delhi: Following a notable improvement in Delhi’s air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has chosen to lift restrictions imposed under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The judgment was made public on January 17 after the GRAP Sub-Committee reviewed the data and found that the Air Quality Index (AQI) had consistently improved from “Severe” to “Very Poor.”
The revocation was prompted by Delhi’s AQI, which was reported at 302 on January 16 and much below the 350 threshold. In an order, the CAQM said that the ongoing progress has been facilitated by favorable weather conditions, such as high wind speeds. Nonetheless, GRAP’s Stage-I and Stage-II procedures will continue to be implemented in order to guarantee ongoing air quality monitoring and stop future degradation.
After reviewing data on January 17, the Sub-Committee on GRAP reached the judgment.
The judgment states that “the AQI of Delhi has been continuously improving and has been recorded as” Very Poor “on 17.01.2025, which is about 61 AQI points below the benchmark as directed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court for invoking Stage III.”
The directive underlined the need of upholding the citizen charter and exercising caution, particularly in the winter when weather conditions have the potential to swiftly reverse trends in air quality.
According to the official directive from the CAQM office, “construction and demolition sites that were issued closure orders for violations cannot resume operations without explicit permission.”
When Delhi’s AQI surpassed 350 on January 15, the air quality regulations were first enforced. As directed by the Supreme Court, preventative measures under Stage III were put in place to reduce pollution spikes that would cause the AQI to rise beyond 400.
The CAQM encouraged people to take an active role in reducing pollution via responsible activities, even after Stage-III acts were revoked. For any necessary modifications, the subcommittee will keep an eye on air quality and predictions from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
A significant improvement in air quality has previously led CAQM to announce the revocation of Stage IV measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).
“The Sub-Committee decides to revoke with immediate effect its orders dated 15.01.2025 for invoking actions under Stage IV (‘Severe+ Air Quality) of the extant Schedule of GRAP,” said the CAQM.
