With Delhi witnessing a dip in air pollution levels, the Centre's panel revoked stage 3 curbs on Sunday, which were imposed under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
The city's 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 339 at 4 pm on Sunday.
According to the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology forecasts, the air quality is predicted to improve further--from "severe" to "poor".
Also read | What will it take to clean up Delhi air?
Also, IMD has predicted rain in northwest India over the next two-three days due to back-to-back western disturbances.
The Commission for Air Quality Management, responsible for strategising air pollution mitigation in Delhi-NCR, directed authorities in the region to revoke the curbs under stage 3 to prevent further worsening of the situation.
With worsening of the pollution levels, GRAP Stage 3 was brought back on Friday. GRAP 3 entails a ban on non-essential construction work.
Classes up to grade 5 are required to shift to hybrid model in this stage and the parents and the students can opt to choose online education wherever avaliable.
Under Stage 3, the use of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars (four-wheelers) is restricted in Delhi and nearby NCR districts. It also bans non-essential diesel-operated medium goods vehicles with BS-IV or older standards in Delhi.
During winters, the Delhi-NCR region enforces restrictions under GRAP, which categorises air quality into four stages Stage I (Poor, AQI 201-300), Stage II (Very Poor, AQI 301-400), Stage III (Severe, AQI 401-450), and Stage IV (Severe Plus, AQI above 450).
Unfavourable meteorological conditions, along with vehicular pollution, stubble burning, firecrackers and other local pollution sources worsens the Delhi-NCR air quality during winters.
According to doctors, breathing in Delhi's polluted air is equivalent to smoking approximately 10 cigarettes a day.
Exposure to high pollution levels of air pollution for a prolonged time triggers respiratory issues such as asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
