Delhi air pollution: GRAP III invoked, schools to go into hybrid mode

Centre's air quality panel for Delhi-NCR on Monday invoked GRAP III with immediate effect after sharp rise in pollution levels. With this order, schools up to class 5 in Delhi-NCR region will switch to hybrid mode. AQI stood at 367 at 2 pm. Poor air quality, caused by unfavourable weather conditions, often persists from November to January.

"Considering the highly unfavourable meteorological conditions including calm winds and very low mixing height leading the AQI of Delhi into the higher end of the very poor category, the panel's sub-committee on Graded Response Action Plan decides to impose stage 3 of the revised GRAP schedule (issued on Friday) in the entire NCR, with immediate effect," an official order said.



The region was under GRAP IV restrictions till December 6, but it was downgraded to GRAP II after the pollution levels came down.


The GRAP for Delhi-NCR is divided into four stages of air quality -- Stage 1 for "poor" Air Quality Index (AQI) ranging between 201 and 300, Stage 2 for "very poor" AQI of 301-400, Stage 3 for "severe" AQI of 401-450 and Stage 4 for "severe plus" AQI (more than 450).

What will be banned under GRAP 3?

• Diesel goods vehicles are banned in Delhi.
• Demolition and excavation work to be stopped.
• Schools to function in hybrid mode.

Persons with disabilities are exempt from restrictions imposed on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars in Delhi and the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar under stage III.

The Delhi and NCR state governments have also been directed to stagger timings for public offices and municipal bodies under stage III. The Centre may decide on similar staggered timings for central government offices in Delhi-NCR.