Delhi-NCR: GRAP Stage I begins as AQI enters poor category

A layer of smog hung over Kartavya Path on October 22, a day after the Commission for Air Quality Management brought Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan into force across Delhi-NCR.

The stage applies when Delhi’s Air Quality Index is between 201 and 300, classified as ‘poor’. It requires authorities in Delhi and NCR districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to enforce existing pollution-control norms. Diesel generator sets cannot be used as a regular source of electricity under Stage I.

Winter conditions, including lower wind speeds and falling temperatures, can trap pollutants closer to the ground. Vehicle emissions and dust add to the pollution load, while stubble burning in October and November and festival firecrackers can worsen air quality.

Stricter measures apply if air quality deteriorates further. Stage III can halt construction and demolition work and restrict certain older petrol and diesel cars in Delhi and high-vehicle-density districts including Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar. Stage IV adds tighter construction limits and truck-entry restrictions into Delhi.