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With the AQI edging closer to the ‘severe’ category in Delhi, the third phase of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been invoked with immediate effect. This includes a ban on construction and demolition activities in the NCR with exemptions for certain projects.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) 4 pm bulletin, the AQI in Delhi was 397 on Saturday. AQI between 301 and 400 is considered to be ‘very poor’, while AQI between 401 and 500 is categorised as ‘severe’.
A communication issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) Saturday said that “due to unfavourable meteorological conditions with slower wind speed and sudden spike in farm fire incidents”, it was considered necessary to implement stage 3 of GRAP.
Restrictions that will kick in under stage 3 include a ban on construction and demolition activities except for services related to railways, metro, airports, “projects of national importance”, hospitals, water supply and sanitation projects, and linear public projects like roads, flyovers, bridges, highways and pipelines.
In industrial areas in the NCR that do not have PNG supply, industries not running on approved fuels are to operate only for a maximum of five days a week. This restriction will not apply to units manufacturing medical equipment and drugs, and dairy units.
Stage 3 also makes a provision for state governments in the NCR to impose restrictions on plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four wheelers.
Stage 3 of GRAP is supposed to kick in three days ahead of the AQI reaching the ‘severe’ level, according to the revised GRAP schedule that is in place this year. Measures under stage 3 also include intensifying public transport services and “introducing differential rates to encourage off peak travel”.
According to a forecast issued by the Air Quality Early Warning System on Saturday, the AQI is set to remain in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ category on October 30, and in the ‘severe’ category on October 31 and November 1.
With wind direction being favourable, the contribution of stubble burning smoke to PM 2.5 levels in Delhi increased to 21% on Saturday. This is the highest contribution so far this season. This contribution on Friday was around 7%. The number of paddy residue burning related fire counts in Punjab stood at 1,898 on Saturday and 2,067 on Friday, according to data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute.
The communication issued by the CAQM on Saturday noted: “The winds are forecasted to be calm in the coming days and the wind direction is likely to change course frequently. Thus, there is a high likelihood of the pollutants getting trapped in the region and not getting dispersed effectively.”
Many air quality monitoring stations recorded 24-hour average AQI in the ‘severe’ category at 6 pm on Saturday. This includes Alipur, Anand Vihar, ITO, Jahangirpuri, Sonia Vihar, Nehru Nagar, Punjabi Bagh, Mundka, Patparganj and Shadipur.
An update from the SAFAR forecasting system on Saturday also said winds over the next three days are likely to remain calm leading to weak dispersion of pollutants. Strong transport level winds blowing from the northwest has meant that there has been an increase in the contribution of stubble burning to PM 2.5 in Delhi, according to the update from SAFAR.
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