NEW DELHI: Six days after revoking the GRAP-III restrictions, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) brought them back on Friday as the city’s air quality deteriorated further within the very poor category. On Dec 27, the restrictions under Graded Response Action Plan were eased after the air quality index (AQI) improved due to intense rain.
On Friday, AQI worsened due to unfavourable weather conditions such as low wind speed, high moisture and fog, which trapped the pollutants in the air. Several areas even experienced severe air quality. These pollutants can get flushed out by high-speed cool and dry northwesterly winds.
At 11am, AQI, on a scale ranging from 0 to 500, was at 351, declining to 361 by 3pm and 376 by 7pm. The average AQI of the city was 371 against 318, also very poor, a day earlier. According to the air quality early warning system, the air quality is likely to remain very poor till Jan 6.
The deteriorating AQI and forecasts prompted CAQM to hold a meeting and reimpose the curbs. Following Supreme Court’s guidelines, when AQI exceeds 350, CAQM enforces GRAP stage-III measures, which, among others, put restrictions on construction activities and vehicles operating with non-compliant fuel. The actions under stages I and II, in force since Oct 14 and 21, 2024, will also continue.
According to CAQM in NCR and Adjoining Areas, its sub-committee on GRAP reviewed the overall air quality scenario in the national capital region (NCR) and the forecasts for meteorological conditions and air quality index made by India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), and noted that the average AQI had crossed the 350 mark on Friday and was showing an increasing trend due to dense fog, low mixing height, variable winds and unfavourable meteorological conditions.
“The forecasts from IMD/IITM also suggest a likelihood of the average AQI of Delhi to particularly remain in this adverse range for the coming days owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions… Keeping in view the prevailing trend, and in an effort to prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region, the sub-committee has taken the call to invoke all actions as envisaged under stage-III of revised GRAP with immediate effect in the entire NCR,” CAQM added.
