Delhi's Air Quality Remains 'Poor' For 3rd Day in a Row, GRAP Stage 1 Restrictions Imposed

New Delhi: Residents of the national capital and neighbouring regions have endured three consecutive days of poor air quality, with pollution levels reaching a reading of 207 on Tuesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The city's AQI dipped to the 'poor' zone after Dussehra. As the air quality in Delhi-NCR worsened and remained in the ‘poor’ category, restrictions under the first stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) came into force from today.

Stage 1 of the GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan), a series of winter-specific anti-pollution measures, focuses on pollution control through dust mitigation at construction sites, effective waste management and regular road cleaning. The plan mandates stringent inspections of polluting vehicles, improved traffic management and enhanced emission controls in industries, power plants and brick kilns.

GRAP Stage 1 also bans the open burning of waste, limits the use of diesel generators and prohibits the use of coal or firewood in eateries. The GRAP is divided into four stages based on air quality: Stage 1 -- "Poor" (AQI 201-300), Stage 2 -- "Very Poor" (AQI 301-400), Stage 3 -- "Severe" (AQI 401-450) and Stage 4 -- "Severe Plus" (AQI of above 450). An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

After Dussehra, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) entered the "poor" category on Sunday with a reading of 224, marking 19 days since the last instance of poor air quality on September 25, the data said. Meanwhile, farm fires have surged in the past week, with the number of stubble-burning incidents exceeding 100, according to satellite images. 

Over 100 farm fires were reported in Punjab between October 10 and October 13. On Monday, 68 farm fires were reported in Punjab, 29 in Haryana , 25 in Uttar Pradesh and one such incident was reported in the national capital, according to the data.

The minimum temperature on Tuesday was recorded at 17.4 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal, according to the weather department. Humidity was at 64 per cent at 8:30 am, the India Meteorological Department said. The department has predicted cloudy skies for the day, with the maximum temperature likely to settle around 35 degrees Celsius.