The Centre’s air quality panel on Friday revoked restrictions under Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi and neighbouring areas as air quality improved in the city.
The move comes a day after the Commission for Air Quality Management rolled back GRAP 4 following a dip in air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR.
The CAQM said in a statement that its sub-committee on GRAP conducted its meeting on Friday and reviewed the air quality scenario in the region as well as the IMD/IITM forecasts.
“As per the Air Quality & Weather forecast provided by IMD/ IITM, there is a likelihood of the AQI of Delhi to remain in the lower end of ‘Very Poor’ category in the coming days owing to favourable meteorological conditions and strong wind speeds,” the CAQM said in the statement.
“Construction & Demolition project sites etc. which have been issued specific closure orders on account of violations/ non-compliances of various statutory directions, rules, guidelines etc. under no circumstances shall resume their operations without any specific order to this effect from the Commission,” the CAQM statement added.
Delhi’s average AQI has significantly improved as the AQI clocked 289 on Friday, as per the AQI Bulletin provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), clearly indicating a downward trend.
Stages 3 and 4 of the GRAP were invoked on January 15 when the average AQI of Delhi breached the 350 mark and started to exhibit a sharp increasing trend, indicating a possibility to even breach the 400 mark.
