Delhi’s Air Turns ‘Very Poor’ for the First Time This Season; CAQM Invokes GRAP Stage II Across NCR
Delhi’s AQI crossed 300 on Monday, two days after a moderate reading of 117. The Commission for Air Quality Management has put Stage II curbs in place with immediate effect.
Air quality in Delhi slipped into the “very poor” band on Monday, 2 November, for the first time this season. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said the city’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 324 at 4 pm, and it invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region with immediate effect.
The deterioration has been fast. Delhi recorded a “moderate” AQI of 117 on 31 October and a “poor” 261 on 1 November before crossing 300 a day later. Preliminary CPCB data showed several monitoring stations well into the very poor range on Monday evening, including Jahangirpuri (420), Alipur (382), Bawana (365), Dwarka Sector 8 (357) and ITO (351).
What Stage II means
Stage II applies when the AQI is between 301 and 400. Along with the Stage I measures already in force, agencies have been told to:
- step up mechanised road sweeping, water sprinkling and the use of anti-smog guns;
- act firmly against open burning of garbage and manage construction and municipal waste properly;
- deploy traffic police at congested roads and junctions, and tighten checks on PUC certificates and visibly polluting vehicles;
- inspect industries, brick kilns and power plants for compliance with pollution norms and approved fuels;
- stop hotels, restaurants and roadside eateries from using coal or firewood in tandoors.
Authorities said fines of more than ₹68 lakh were imposed on the first day of curbs, and 1,539 non-BS6 vehicles were turned back at Delhi’s borders. A ban on such vehicles entering the city runs from 1 November to 31 January.
No relief in sight
CAQM said unfavourable weather is likely to keep pollution in the very poor range over the coming days, and forecasts from IMD and IITM do not point to any near-term improvement. Doctors advise that children, the elderly and people with heart or lung conditions limit time outdoors when the AQI is in this range.
Featured image: Low visibility due to smog at a New Delhi entry point (file photo). Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source).
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