Delhi’s air quality (AQI) slips to “very poor”

PABITRA BANERJEE: GRAP 2 Anti-Pollution Curbs Imposed In Delhi-NCR As AQI Crosses 300 The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the Centre’s air quality watchdog, on Monday invoked Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR with immediate effect as the national capital’s AQI slipped into the ‘very poor’ category. At 6 pm, the AQI stood at 327, according to the Sameer app. With Delhi’s air quality index crossing 300, the CAQM has enforced GRAP Stage 2 curbs, including higher parking fees, restrictions on coal and firewood use, and intensified dust-control measures across the capital and NCR.The latest curbs came a day after an expanded set of winter pollution-control measures came into force on Sunday. These include restrictions on the entry and operation of non-BS-VI vehicles registered outside Delhi, with exemptions for CNG and electric vehicles and specified categories. Under GRAP Stage II restrictions, municipal bodies and road-owning agencies across Delhi-NCR have been directed to enhance daily mechanical sweeping and water sprinkling along high-traffic corridors and designated hotspots.Authorities will also hike vehicle parking fees to actively discourage private transport and curb vehicular emissions. Additionally, strict prohibitions on the use of coal and firewood in commercial eateries and tandoors, along with regulations on diesel generator operations, have been mandated across the region.To further control localized emissions during winter, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) have been instructed to supply electric heaters to security and sanitation staff to prevent open biomass burning during night shifts. Civic authorities have also been urged to augment metro and electric bus frequencies to support commuters as anti-pollution enforcement intensifies across the Capital.