After a brief respite, Delhi’s air quality worsened again to the ‘very poor’ category, prompting the Centre’s air quality panel to reimpose restrictive measures under stage three of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Under the stage-3 measures, schools and colleges in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar are mandatorily required to shift classes up to Class V to hybrid mode.
Delhi's AQI stood at 367 at 2 pm.
"Considering the highly unfavourable meteorological conditions including calm winds and very low mixing height leading the AQI of Delhi into the higher end of the very poor category, the panel's sub-committee on Graded Response Action Plan decides to impose stage 3 of the revised GRAP schedule (issued on Friday) in the entire NCR, with immediate effect," said the official order.
Stage 3 also entails a ban on non-essential diesel-operated medium goods vehicles with BS-IV or older standards within Delhi. Non-essential diesel light commercial vehicles of BS-IV or older standards, registered outside Delhi, are also not allowed to enter the city.
Earlier the GRAP-4 measures were imposed in Delhi on November 18 as the air quality index deteriorated to ‘severe+’ for the first time this season. The AQI had touched 457 on November 17.
However, the measures under stages 3 and 4 were revoked on December 5 as the air quality improved in the national capital.
The Supreme Court had allowed relaxation in the GRAP restrictions after noting that the AQI level did not cross 300 in the previous four days in the National Capital Region.
