Central Pollution Control Board revokes GRAP II in entire Delhi NCR as air quality improves

New Delhi [India], February 19 (ANI): As Delhi‘s daily average Air Quality Index (AQI) clocked 231, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Monday revoked Stage II of GRAP in the entire Delhi NCR with immediate effect, an official statement said.

According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Sub-Committee for operationalisation of actions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) met today to review the current air quality scenario in the region and accordingly take an appropriate decision on the preventive/restrictive actions under Stage-II of GRAP already in place in the entire National Capital Region (NCR) since October 21, 2023.

While comprehensively reviewing the overall air quality parameters of Delhi-NCR, the Sub-Committee observed that the average AQI of Delhi has considerably improved in lathe st 4-5 days and remained less than 300 from February 15, onwards, and has been recorded as 231 at 4:00 pm on February 19, which is about 70 AQI points below the threshold for invoking the GRAP Stage-II actions (Delhi AQI 301-400), the statement said.

The forecast by IMD and IITM also indicates that the average AQI of Delhi will stay in the ‘Moderate/Poor’ category, with light rain/drizzle expected in the coming days. Therefore, keeping in view this trend of improvement in the overall AQI of Delhi and also the forecasts by IMD and IITM not indicating the average air quality of Delhi moving to the ‘Very Poor’ category in the coming days (for which a forecast is available), the Sub-Committee for operationalisation of actions under GRAP unanimously decided to revoke Stage-II of GRAP in the entire NCR with immediate effect, the statement added.

Actions under Stage-I of GRAP shall however remain invoked and be implemented, monitored and reviewed by all agencies concerned in the entire NCR and agencies shall keep strict vigil and especially intensify measures under Stage-I of GRAP in order to obviate the implementation of Stage-II of GRAP actions owing to the AQI level further slipping into the ‘Very Poor’ category.

Based on the decision of the CAQM Sub-Committee for the operationalization of GRAP, actions under Stage II of GRAP have been in place in the entire NCR since October 21. The Commission urges all agencies responsible for the implementation of various actions listed under Stage-I of GRAP and citizens and residents to strictly implement and solemnly follow the provisions and charter of GRAP under Stage I to obviate the need for re-imposition of Stage II of GRAP in NCR.

The statement also noted that the Sub-Committee shall keep a close watch on the air quality scenario and may take appropriate decisions depending on the air quality, as recorded from time to time, and the forecasts made available by IMD/IITM to this effect. (ANI)