GRAP 2 anti-pollution curbs in Delhi-NCR as AQI crosses 300 ahead of Diwali

GRAP Stage 2 is the second level of Delhi-NCR’s Graded Response Action Plan. It adds stricter pollution controls when air quality becomes very poor. The aim is to reduce emissions quickly and prevent conditions from worsening, especially during the winter pollution season and before Diwali.

The CAQM ordered higher parking fees, restrictions on coal and firewood in hotels and restaurants, tighter controls on diesel generators, and stronger dust-control work. Agencies must increase mechanical sweeping, water sprinkling and inspections at construction and demolition sites. Stage 1 measures continue alongside Stage 2.

The measures were imposed after Delhi’s AQI rose from 117 on October 31 to 261 on November 1, then reached 327 on Monday evening. The CAQM blamed unfavourable weather and said forecasts suggested very poor air would continue. The restrictions therefore target both immediate pollution sources and daily activities that can add emissions.

Delhi’s AQI was 327 at 6 pm on Monday, according to the Sameer app. The article classifies readings above 300 as “very poor.” This sharp rise prompted the CAQM to impose GRAP Stage 2 across Delhi-NCR.

The AQI is a summary number that communicates how polluted the air is. A higher number generally means greater health concern. At very poor levels, people may experience worsening breathing problems, especially those with asthma or other existing conditions. The article does not provide a detailed health-risk table for each AQI band.

Delhi’s reading had climbed from 117 on October 31 to 261 on November 1 before passing 300. The CAQM linked the deterioration to unfavourable weather. IMD and IITM forecasts indicated that air quality was likely to remain very poor for the next few days, making continued controls necessary.

The Stage 2 rules target several major activities that can worsen Delhi-NCR’s air. Parking fees may rise to discourage private vehicle use. Hotels, restaurants and open eateries cannot use coal or firewood, including for tandoors. Diesel generator sets face tighter regulation.

Dust control is also expanded. Identified roads must receive daily mechanical or vacuum sweeping, with extra shifts and longer machine hours. Agencies must sprinkle water and dust suppressants before peak traffic, especially at busy intersections, congested roads and pollution hotspots. Construction and demolition sites will receive more inspections.

Resident Welfare Associations must arrange electric heaters and electricity for security guards, sanitation workers and horticulture staff. This is meant to reduce open burning of biomass and municipal waste. Governments may also consider staggered office timings. The Delhi Metro will add 20 weekday trips, bringing its network-wide additional trips to 40.

For commuters, higher parking fees could make private-car travel more expensive. The Delhi Metro is adding 20 weekday trips, bringing additional trips across its network to 40. Governments may also introduce staggered timings for some public offices, changing when employees travel.

Businesses using tandoors or other coal- and firewood-burning equipment must stop those practices under the restrictions. Diesel-generator operations will be regulated more strictly. Construction and demolition workers may face more inspections and limits on dust-generating work. Road crews will work longer hours on sweeping and water sprinkling.

Residents may notice more activity on roads and at pollution hotspots. RWAs are expected to provide electric heaters and electricity to workers in residential complexes. This is designed to prevent biomass and municipal-waste burning. The article does not specify exact fee increases, work stoppages or penalties, so the precise daily impact will depend on local implementation.

Delhi’s air often becomes worse in winter because colder, less-dispersive conditions can trap pollutants close to the ground. This is established atmospheric science, while the article specifically attributes the current deterioration to unfavourable weather. The result can be a rapid rise in measured AQI.

Diwali can add pollution pressure because firecrackers release smoke and particles. The article does not quantify firecracker emissions, but it says Delhi’s winter action plan includes anti-firecracker awareness campaigns. It also notes that Diwali will be celebrated on November 8, only days after Stage 2 was imposed.

This timing explains the authorities’ concern. IMD and IITM forecasts said air quality was likely to remain very poor over the next few days. Controls on dust, burning, vehicles and generators are intended to limit additional pollution while weather remains unfavourable. The article does not state whether firecracker use will be banned.

The controls focus on several pollution sources named in the article. Vehicles can add emissions, especially when people use private cars, so higher parking fees and extra Metro trips aim to shift travel. Road dust is addressed through mechanical sweeping, water and dust suppressants. Construction and demolition sites are targeted through inspections and dust-control rules.

Burning is another focus. Coal and firewood are restricted in hotels, restaurants and open eateries, while electric heaters for residential-complex workers are intended to prevent open burning of biomass and municipal waste. Diesel generators will also face tighter regulation. Pollution hotspots will receive targeted action based on their main emission sources.

Weather affects the AQI by influencing how pollutants disperse. The CAQM said unfavourable weather caused the recent deterioration, and forecasts predicted very poor air for several days. The measures therefore combine source reduction with monitoring and forecasting. The article does not assign a precise AQI contribution to each source.

The Air Quality Index, or AQI, converts concentrations of important pollutants into a single number and category. In established systems, each pollutant receives a sub-index based on its measured concentration, and the overall AQI is generally governed by the pollutant with the highest sub-index. The exact formula and pollutant list can vary by country.

The article uses Delhi’s AQI as a warning signal. Its reading was 327 at 6 pm, which falls in the “very poor” category. That number does not mean one pollutant alone caused the result. It summarizes the strongest pollution risk among the pollutants measured by the monitoring system.

Pollutants harm health when people inhale them or otherwise come into contact with them. They can irritate airways and worsen existing breathing problems; specific effects depend on the pollutant, concentration and exposure time. The article does not list Delhi’s individual pollutant readings or provide the official AQI formula.