grap-1-restrictions-imposed-in-delhi-ncr-as-aqi-turns-poor

The Commission for Air Quality Management on Tuesday imposed Stage 1 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan in Delhi and the adjoining National Capital Region after the air quality slipped into the “poor” category.

 

 

In an order issued on May 19, the CAQM said Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) showed an “increasing trend” and was recorded at 208, placing it in the “poor” category. The panel added that forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) indicated the AQI was likely to remain in the same category over the coming days.

 

“The Sub-Committee, accordingly, decides to invoke all actions under Stage-I (‘Poor’ Air Quality) of the extant Grap in the entire NCR, with immediate effect,” the order stated.According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) daily bulletin issued at 4 pm on May 19, PM10 was identified as the prominent pollutant in Delhi.

 

Several neighbouring cities in the National Capital Region also reported high pollution levels. Ghaziabad recorded an AQI of 247, Noida 233, Gurugram 178, Faridabad 200 and Greater Noida 312.GRAP is a set of incremental anti-pollution measures that are triggered to prevent further worsening of air quality once it reaches a certain threshold in the Delhi-NCR region.

 

The first stage involves measures such as mechanical sweeping of roads and sprinkling water on them to keep dust from rising. It also bans some kinds of construction and demolition activities.The Commission for Air Quality Management said that in its meeting on Tuesday it reviewed the air quality scenario in the region and observed that Delhi’s Air Quality Index had shown an increasing trend and was recorded at 208, which is in the “poor” category.The statutory body noted that the AQI is likely to remain in the “poor” category in the coming days.

 

As of 6.05 pm on Tuesday, Delhi recorded an average AQI of 206, showed the Sameer application, which provides hourly updates published by the Central Pollution Control Board.In Uttar Pradesh, while Noida recorded a “poor” AQI of 238 and Ghaziabad of 248, Greater Noida was in the “very poor” category at 304, the application showed. Stage 1 of GRAP is activated when the AQI is in the “poor” category. The second, third and fourth stages are activated when the AQI crosses the “very poor”, “severe” and “severe plus” categories.