With persistent toxic air clouding over its skies in the last few days, the national capital is expected to witness its air quality to further deteriorate to the ‘Severe or Severe+’ category over the weekend and as a result, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has implemented the Stage-4 of its Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

The plan which was earlier implemented on three occasions on October 5, October 19, and October 29, immediately after the festival of Diwali, to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR, is now being further intensified to its fourth stage as the capital recorded average AQI of over 450 in the last couple of days.

While the key reason for the deteriorating air in the national capital is attributed to the intense smoke traversing its way after emanating from crops being burnt in the neighbouring farming states of Punjab and Haryana, measures are being implemented to curtail vehicular pollution that would lower the air quality.

As part of the latest stage of the emergency plan that has been enforced with immediate effect from November 4, entry of all trucks, barring those for essential commodities or services and ones running on CNG or electric technology, has been banned into the national capital region (NCR) until further notice of the CAQM.

The action plan also imposes a ban on Delhi-registered M&HCV trucks and buses, other than those carrying essential commodities or offering essential services, alongside putting a temporary ban on all non-BS-VI-compliant diesel four-wheeled vehicles, including cars and SUVs, in the national capital and its bordering areas.

Clearer times ahead
While all construction and demolition activities related to public projects have also been directed to come to a complete standstill, the commission has hinted that the capital’s air quality is likely to show improvement from November 6.

“There is likelihood of improvement in Air Quality from November 6, 2022 onwards owing to favourable wind speed and direction, which at present is dominantly North-Westerly. The sub-committee shall again review the air quality scenario on November 6 and take appropriate decision on GRAP measures to be taken thereafter,” the CAQM said in a statement.