In light of the impending winter air pollution crisis in Delhi, the government will be implementing a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) from October 1 in the city. The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) announced the implementation of the revised GRAP on August 31.

Much like the GRAP used by the city to deal with the later waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, the GRAP for air pollution will introduce several short-term measures to bring down the air quality level to safer levels in and around the city. The plan has been divided into four stages on the basis of the levels of air quality – poor, very poor, severe and severe plus.

The air quality will be decided through dynamic air quality forecast data provided by the Indian Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology to the CAQM. The responses will also be acted out based on the air quality three days in advance.

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“We will be also making use of the real-time source apportionment system which will help understand the real-time effect of pollution sources like vehicles, road dust, construction dust, biomass burning, farm fires, and industrial emissions,” said an official to the news agency PTI.

Under the GRAP, poor quality of air would result in actions like a limited prohibition on construction and demolition activities, and regulations on brick kilns, thermal power plants and diesel power generators.

If the air quality slips to the very poor stage, then the GRAP would bring additional restrictions like a complete ban on the use of diesel generators unless for emergency and essential services, increased parking fees to encourage the use of public transport, and a ban on the use of coal and firewood in eateries.

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Further deterioration in air quality would result in prohibitions like a strict ban on construction and demolition, closing down brick kilns and hot mix plants not operating on approved fuels, and even restricting entry for certain diesel vehicles to the city.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)