Delhi-NCR Air Quality Turns ‘Severe’; GRAP Stage 3 Restrictions Imposed

As Delhi’s overall air quality dipped into the ‘severe’ category, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has enforced Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the entire NCR region.

Under the new restrictions, construction and demolition activities have been banned in Delhi-NCR. The CAQM has also prohibited BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers from plying in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddh Nagar.

To reduce exposure for young children, schools up to Class 5 in these regions have been asked to shift to hybrid mode — both online and offline — wherever possible.

The CAQM directed all NCR governments to implement the measures with immediate effect, citing the need to prevent further deterioration in air quality.

Air quality levels in the ‘severe’ range (AQI 401–450) can affect even healthy individuals and pose serious health risks to those with pre-existing conditions, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Stage 3 restrictions add to those already in place under Stages 1 and 2 of GRAP. If the situation worsens, Stage 4 (‘Severe Plus’) measures — including a ban on entry of trucks and restrictions on private vehicles — may follow.