Delhi Air Pollution: Stage I GRAP Restrictions
Context
As Delhi’s air quality deteriorated to the poor category, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region (NCR).
Both newspapers highlighted the need for stricter measures to control dust, manage waste and curb vehicular emissions as an immediate response to worsening air pollution levels.
Key Highlights
- According to the Indian Express, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 244 on 21 October, compared to 179 on 20 October.
- Stage I of GRAP is implemented when the AQI falls within the poor category (201 – 300).
- Measures include improved dust-control mechanisms, stricter waste management, restrictions on open burning and enforcement of vehicle emission standards.
- Air pollution is an airshed wide problem that cannot be effectively addressed through the isolated efforts of Delhi’s administrative agencies alone.
Key Concepts
- Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP): A pre-defined framework of graded antipollution measures implemented in response to observed or forecast deterioration in air quality across Delhi NCR.
- Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM): A statutory body established under the CAQM Act, 2021, to coordinate air quality management in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas.
- Airshed Management: An approach to pollution control that considers a shared atmospheric region as a single unit, recognising that air pollutants can travel across administrative and geographical boundaries.
Way Forward
- Prioritise year round pollution control strategies based on source apportionment studies instead of relying exclusively on seasonal emergency measures.
- Strengthen coordination across NCR for clean transportation, industrial emission compliance, construction dust management and effective waste disposal systems.
- Ensure timely publication of air quality monitoring data and issue appropriate health advisories, particularly for children and elderly people.
- Expand public transportation and promote the transition towards cleaner energy sources in households and industries.