Delhi Air Quality Severe, Stage 4 GRAP Curbs Enforced

by The_unmuteenglish

New Delhi, 17 December 2024: Air quality in the national capital plunged into the ‘severe’ category on Tuesday with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 427, while the minimum temperature dropped to 5.9 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s Sameer app, 28 of the 35 air monitoring stations recorded AQI in the ‘severe’ range, with several locations crossing the 450 mark, which falls under the ‘severe plus’ category.

The remaining seven stations reported air quality in the ‘very poor’ range. An AQI above 400 is classified as “severe” and poses health risks to both healthy individuals and those with pre-existing conditions.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the worsening air quality to calm surface winds and fog. “Calm winds prevailed over Delhi during the past 24 hours, reducing visibility from 800 meters in shallow fog on Monday at Palam to 350 meters in moderate fog at Safdarjung this morning,” an IMD official said.

The department added that moderate fog (visibility between 200 and 500 meters) is likely to persist for the next two days due to continued calm or easterly winds.

Humidity levels stood at 97% at 8:30 a.m., while the maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 24 and 5 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Amid deteriorating air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) imposed Stage 4 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Monday. The decision was made after the AQI breached the ‘severe’ threshold of 400 and weather conditions further hindered pollutant dispersion.

Stage 4 measures under GRAP include an immediate ban on all construction activities in Delhi-NCR, restrictions on the entry of polluting trucks carrying non-essential goods, and mandatory shifting of school classes, except for grades X and XII, to hybrid (online and offline) mode.

The air quality panel’s decision to enforce Stage 4 curbs followed hours after restrictions under GRAP Stage 3 were announced when Delhi’s AQI surpassed 350 on Monday afternoon. GRAP categorizes air pollution in four stages during winters: 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).

The sharp decline in air quality has renewed concerns over public health and environmental sustainability in Delhi. Authorities are urging residents to minimize outdoor exposure, while stringent enforcement of pollution control measures continues to counter the worsening conditions.

Related Articles