The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in Delhi-NCR has taken strong steps to deal with worsening air pollution. On Wednesday, they activated serious measures under Stage-III (“Severe”) and Stage-IV (“Severe+”) of their Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). This decision was made because the Air Quality Index (AQI) is rising and could go over 400, which is unhealthy.
On Tuesday, the AQI in Delhi was 275, but by Wednesday evening, it jumped to 396. This sudden rise in pollution is due to thick fog and cold temperatures, which keep pollution close to the ground and make it harder for cleaner air to mix in. The situation is so urgent that leaders expect the AQI could soon go over 400, prompting Stage-IV measures.
Stage-IV is the highest alert level, meaning the air quality is extremely unhealthy. When the AQI goes over 450, strict rules will be put in place to reduce pollution. Here are some of the key restrictions:
– Vehicle Restrictions: Non-essential trucks will not be allowed in Delhi, except those carrying important goods. Trucks that run on clean energy like LNG, CNG, electric, or follow strict standards (BS-VI) can still enter.
– School Closures: Most schools will move to online classes, except for students in Classes 10 and 12, who might continue in-person learning.
– Work-from-Home Guidelines: State governments may ask office workers to stay home. Public and private offices might have to limit the number of people working in-person by half.
– Construction Ban: The ongoing ban on construction will also stop projects like highways and power lines from contributing to more dust and pollution.
– Health Advisory: People, especially kids, the elderly, and those with health issues, are advised to stay indoors and limit time outside.
These actions show how serious Delhi’s air quality problem has become, largely because of car emissions, industrial pollution, and burning crops in nearby areas
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