NEWS – Delhi’s air quality slipped into the ‘poor’ category (AQI 211) for the first time in four months, triggering Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has enforced this action plan to mitigate worsening air pollution across Delhi-NCR.

HIGHLIGHTS

About GRAP

• Introduced: 2017 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), based on CPCB recommendations.
• Objective: A framework of graded emergency measures to tackle air pollution when the Air Quality Index (AQI) crosses set thresholds.
• Implementation: Earlier managed by EPCA; since 2021, implemented by CAQM.

Stages of GRAP:

1. Stage 1 – Poor (AQI 201–300): Ban on garbage burning, mechanized road cleaning, and control of dust from construction.
2. Stage 2 – Very Poor (AQI 301–400): Restrict diesel generator use; increase parking fees.
3. Stage 3 – Severe (AQI 401–450): Ban on construction activities, closure of brick kilns, and hot mix plants.
4. Stage 4 – Severe+ (AQI > 450): Restriction on entry of heavy vehicles, school closures, and work-from-home advisories.

• Measures from previous stages continue cumulatively.

Air Quality Index (AQI)

• Launched: 2014 (under Swachh Bharat Mission).
• Pollutants measured: PM₂.₅, PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂, CO, O₃, NH₃, Pb.
• Categories: Good (0–50) → Severe (401–500).
• Major pollutants: PM₂.₅ and ground-level ozone — secondary pollutant formed when NOx + VOCs react under sunlight.

CAQM

• Constituted under: CAQM Act, 2021.
• Jurisdiction: Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh NCR regions.
• Functions: Coordinates air quality improvement efforts, enforces GRAP, issues directions, and addresses pollution-related grievances.
• Composition: Full-time Chairperson with at least 15 years’ environmental experience or 25 years’ administrative experience.