GRAP 2 in Delhi: What's allowed; what is not? Which cars, vehicles are banned? Check list before going to office

The Graded Response Action Plan, or GRAP, is a set of pollution-control measures that become stricter as air quality deteriorates. Delhi-NCR was placed under Stage II after Delhi entered the “Very Poor” category, with the AQI touching 324 on November 2. The Commission for Air Quality Management brought the measures into force immediately.

Stage II requires agencies to intensify action across the region. Diesel generator sets are restricted for regular and commercial use, except for specified emergency and essential services. Coal and firewood burning are prohibited, including their use in restaurant, hotel and eatery tandoors. Mechanised sweeping and water sprinkling with dust suppressants continue.

The restrictions operate alongside separate winter rules that began on November 1. Authorities may also increase parking charges or stagger office timings. Construction sites and industrial units already ordered to shut cannot resume, while pollution-hotspot measures continue across Delhi-NCR.

The current entry ban targets petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI emission standards. It took effect on November 1, before the latest GRAP Stage II order, and remains in force until January 31, 2027. The rule is part of winter pollution-control measures.

For example, an outside-Delhi petrol car below BS-VI cannot enter the capital. An outside-Delhi diesel vehicle meeting BS-VI can enter, subject to other rules. Buses entering under specified permit categories, including tourist and contract carriage services, must use BS-VI diesel, CNG or electricity. Trucks passing through Delhi must use peripheral expressways.

Delhi-registered cars are not covered by this particular entry ban, even if they are BS-IV. However, age-related restrictions, valid PUC requirements and other applicable rules still apply. Restrictions may also affect older or non-compliant interstate commercial and goods vehicles under relevant notifications.

Electric vehicles, CNG-powered vehicles and BS-VI-compliant vehicles can continue to enter and operate, subject to traffic and pollution-control rules. This exemption is important because the entry restriction focuses on non-BS-VI petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside Delhi. Delhi-registered vehicles remain subject to their own applicable requirements.

For example, a CNG car or an outside-Delhi BS-VI diesel car can travel into Delhi under the current entry rule. The owner should carry or maintain a valid Pollution Under Control certificate. Buses entering under specified permits must run on BS-VI diesel, CNG or electricity, while Delhi-registered buses are exempt from that particular rule.

A valid PUC certificate does not cancel other requirements, such as age-related restrictions or traffic rules. Vehicles without a valid certificate may face enforcement action, penalties and possible refusal of fuel at petrol pumps. Owners should check compliance before travelling.

Delhi’s air quality index touched 324 on November 2. The article states that this placed air quality in the “Very Poor” category. That reading was the immediate reason Delhi-NCR moved to Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan. The measures were imposed with immediate effect.

The AQI figure matters because GRAP links stronger action to worsening air quality. Once Stage II began, agencies had to intensify pollution-control efforts across the region. Restrictions covered diesel generator sets used for regular or commercial purposes, coal and firewood burning, and coal- or firewood-fuelled tandoors in restaurants, hotels and eateries.

The article does not provide a separate health interpretation of an AQI of 324. Its clear practical meaning here is that pollution had entered the “Very Poor” band and triggered additional controls. Anti-pollution work, including mechanised sweeping and dust-suppressant sprinkling, continues.

When these measures take effect, commuters must check their vehicle’s registration state, emission standard and PUC certificate before travelling. Non-BS-VI petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside Delhi cannot enter the capital under the current winter rule. Buses and trucks also face specific operating requirements.

Businesses must change how they operate. Coal and firewood burning is prohibited across Delhi-NCR, so restaurants, hotels and eateries cannot use tandoors with those fuels. Diesel generator sets cannot be used for regular or commercial purposes, except for permitted emergency and essential services. Construction and industrial units ordered to shut cannot restart.

Authorities may raise parking charges or introduce staggered office timings to discourage private vehicle use. These steps can alter commuting and operating routines, while mechanised sweeping, water sprinkling and hotspot action continue. The restrictions remain alongside the separate November 1 vehicle-entry rule and other applicable pollution controls.

Older or non-compliant vehicles are targeted because the winter entry rule excludes outside-Delhi petrol and diesel vehicles below BS-VI. Coal and firewood burning are prohibited, including in tandoors, because these activities are identified in the article as pollution sources requiring control. Diesel generators are restricted during Stage II to curb regular and commercial use.

Construction and demolition sites, along with industrial units specifically ordered to shut, cannot resume operations. These rules prevent activity from continuing after authorities have directed it to stop. Emergency and essential services, including hospitals, healthcare facilities and lifts, may use diesel generators under stated exemptions.

The measures are especially relevant during severe winter pollution because the article describes them as winter pollution-control actions and links Stage II to the “Very Poor” AQI category. Other responses include mechanised road sweeping, water sprinkling with dust suppressants and targeted action at pollution hotspots. Authorities may also discourage private vehicle use.

Bharat Stage, or BS, emission standards specify permissible limits for pollutants emitted by new vehicles before they are approved for sale. They give manufacturers a defined emissions benchmark to meet. The article says manufacturers must demonstrate compliance through laboratory testing.

The vehicle-entry rule uses these standards as a clear dividing line. Petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI are barred from entering until January 31, 2027. BS-VI-compliant vehicles can continue to operate, subject to other traffic and pollution-control rules. CNG and electric vehicles are also exempt from this particular entry restriction.

The article does not detail specific technologies or pollutant reductions produced by BS-VI engines. It does state that India moved directly from BS-IV to BS-VI on April 1, 2020, bypassing BS-V. In practice under these rules, demonstrating the required standard determines whether many vehicles can enter.