On Friday morning, the air quality in Delhi got better and was rated as ‘moderate.’ Earlier this week, it had been poor, but things changed. The air quality index (AQI) was reported at 170 at 8 am on February 7, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Earlier in the week, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of thick fog in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and western Uttar Pradesh. This fog led to the poor air quality. However, on February 3, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) decided to end the strict rules under Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). This was because the AQI in Delhi dropped to 286, which is much lower than the 350 mark that triggers Stage-III rules.
The CAQM’s decision means that while the strictest measures were lifted, the milder rules of Stages I and II are still in place. Everyone needs to pay close attention to air quality, and if the AQI goes above 350 again, they will quickly bring back the stronger Stage-III rules. If it crosses 400, even tougher Stage-IV rules will kick in. Also, construction sites that broke the rules are not allowed to resume work unless they get a specific order from the commission.
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