Delhi: GRAP-2 pollution curbs enforced as air quality drops to ‘very poor’ category

GRAP Stage 2 is the second level of Delhi-NCR’s Graded Response Action Plan. It is a package of escalating anti-pollution measures designed to stop air quality from worsening after it crosses a defined threshold. It matters because pollution can intensify quickly when weather conditions trap emissions near the ground.

The Commission for Air Quality Management imposed Stage 2 on Monday. Delhi’s AQI rose from 117 on Saturday to 261 on Sunday, then 324 on Monday. The order linked the sharp increase to unfavourable meteorological conditions. Stage 2 bans coal and firewood use, including tandoors, in hotels, restaurants, and open eateries. It also restricts diesel generators except for essential and emergency services.

The measures include mechanical road sweeping, water sprinkling, and stricter inspections at construction and demolition sites. Stage 2 also keeps the restrictions introduced under Stage 1 on October 21. Forecasts from the India Meteorological Department and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology indicated that very poor air could continue in the coming days.

Delhi’s pollution had reached a dangerous level by Monday evening. The city’s average AQI was 327 at 6.05 pm, placing it in the “very poor” category. The AQI had risen sharply from 117 on Saturday to 261 on Sunday and 324 on Monday. The Commission for Air Quality Management responded by imposing GRAP Stage 2 across Delhi-NCR.

Of 58 active monitoring stations, 38 recorded very poor air quality. Three more crossed 400, entering the severe category. Jahangirpuri recorded Delhi’s worst reading, at 447. Rohini followed with 420, while Punjab Bagh reached 415. These readings show that pollution was not evenly distributed across the capital, even though the citywide average was already very poor.

The forecast suggested that conditions could remain very poor in the coming days. The article defines AQI values from 301 to 400 as very poor and values from 401 to 450 as severe. Anything above 450 is called severe plus. The station readings therefore showed pockets of especially intense pollution.

GRAP Stage 2 changes daily operations for several groups. Hotels, restaurants, and open eateries must stop using coal and firewood, including in tandoors. Businesses using diesel generator sets must also stop, unless the generators support emergency or essential services. These rules aim to remove major local sources of smoke and combustion during a pollution episode.

Residents may notice more mechanical sweeping and water being sprinkled on roads. The purpose is to prevent dust from rising into the air. Construction and demolition sites face intensified inspections and stricter enforcement of dust-control measures. The restrictions are added to the measures already introduced under GRAP Stage 1.

The order does not describe a general shutdown of businesses or construction. Instead, it targets specific activities that release smoke or dust. The Commission imposed these controls because Delhi’s AQI reached 324 and forecasts indicated that very poor air could persist. Their broader aim is to prevent further deterioration across Delhi-NCR.

Weather controls how quickly pollution leaves the air people breathe. When winds are weak, emissions from vehicles, industries, fires, and other sources move away slowly. Pollutants can then accumulate over the same area. Falling temperatures can also make the lower atmosphere more stable, reducing vertical mixing and keeping polluted air close to the ground.

This creates a concentration effect. Each new emission adds to pollution that has not dispersed. Stagnant conditions can therefore push an AQI upward sharply over a short period, even if individual sources have not suddenly doubled their output. The article specifically links Delhi’s rise from an AQI of 117 on Saturday to 324 on Monday to unfavourable meteorological conditions.

The article lists falling temperatures and decreased wind speeds among the contributors to Delhi’s winter pollution. The India Meteorological Department and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology predicted very poor air in the coming days. It does not provide a detailed atmospheric analysis, but the forecast explains why restrictions were imposed before conditions worsened further.

The article describes Delhi’s winter pollution as a combined problem. It identifies vehicular pollution, emissions from industries and coal-fired plants, firecrackers during Diwali, and stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana. These sources release pollutants into the regional atmosphere, where weather conditions can keep them concentrated over Delhi-NCR.

Each source can add a different kind of emission. Vehicles and industrial facilities operate across the region, while crop-residue burning can send smoke from neighbouring states toward Delhi. Firecrackers create a sharp seasonal burst during Diwali. Coal and firewood burning, including tandoors, is targeted under GRAP Stage 2, while diesel generators are restricted except for essential and emergency services.

The article does not quantify which source contributes the most. It presents the problem as a mixture of emissions and weather factors. Falling temperatures and weaker winds worsen the effect. Because forecasts expected very poor air to continue, authorities imposed controls on several sources at once rather than focusing on a single cause.

Delhi’s air quality deteriorates sharply in winter, according to the article. Several factors combine during the season: falling temperatures, decreased wind speeds, vehicular pollution, industrial emissions, coal-fired plants, crop-residue burning, and Diwali firecrackers. When pollution sources operate while the air disperses emissions less effectively, concentrations can rise across the capital and surrounding region.

The article provides a current example of this pattern. Delhi’s AQI climbed from 117 on Saturday to 261 on Sunday and 324 on Monday. Thirty-eight monitoring stations recorded very poor air, and three recorded severe pollution above 400. The Commission attributed the sharp rise to unfavourable meteorological conditions and introduced Stage 2 restrictions.

The source does not describe how Delhi’s winter pollution pattern developed over many years. It says only that air quality deteriorates sharply in winter and that Delhi is often ranked the world’s most polluted capital. Forecasts indicated very poor air would continue, while authorities prepared controls and the Supreme Court allowed certified green firecrackers for two Diwali days.

The Air Quality Index, or AQI, is a numerical scale used to communicate the condition of outdoor air. In the article, 0–50 means good, 51–100 satisfactory, 101–200 moderate, 201–300 poor, 301–400 very poor, 401–450 severe, and above 450 severe plus. A higher number therefore signals worsening pollution, not a direct count of one substance.

The AQI generally combines measurements of pollutants such as fine particles, larger particles, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, and carbon monoxide. Airborne particles can enter the respiratory system, while some gases can irritate airways or affect organs. The source article does not list the pollutants behind this reading or explain specific health effects, so those details come from established air-quality science.

Delhi’s average AQI reached 327, and Jahangirpuri recorded 447. These values placed the city in the very poor category and the station in the severe category. The readings prompted GRAP Stage 2. The scale helps authorities and residents understand urgency, while the restrictions aim to prevent conditions from worsening.