Delhi GRAP-I Imposed as AQI Rises to 244; Tandoor Coal Banned

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) imposed Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan across Delhi-NCR on Wednesday, 21 October, after Delhi’s Air Quality Index rose to 244 (“poor”) at 2 pm from 179 (“moderate”) a day earlier, PTI and Business Today reported. The CAQM sub-committee told agencies in Delhi and the NCR districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to enforce the measures immediately.

Tandoors, Generators and Road Dust

Hotels, restaurants and open eateries may not use coal or firewood in tandoors. Diesel generator sets can run only in emergency or essential use. Mechanical road sweepers are to cover all roads from 21 October, and Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said dust-control rules will be enforced more strictly. Residents have been asked to follow the Stage I citizen charter.

Readings Above 300 at Some Stations

City-wide figures hide wide gaps. ETV Bharat, citing the Sameer app, listed Pusa at 318, Jahangirpuri at 310, Punjabi Bagh at 304 and Chandni Chowk at 302, all in the “very poor” band, while Sri Aurobindo Marg showed 147. Noida read 203 and Gurugram 205. IMD expects mainly clear skies in Delhi on Wednesday, with a maximum near 32°C, as IPB reported this morning.

Stage II if the Air Worsens

Stage I applies when the AQI is between 201 and 300. The IMD and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology expect air quality to stay in the poor range for the next few days, and the sub-committee said it will keep reviewing air quality and forecasts before deciding on more action. The CAQM has not announced a date for any review. Earlier IPB coverage of pollution rules is in Daily Updates.

Source: Based on reporting by ThePrint (PTI), Business Today and ETV Bharat. No CAQM order for the 21 October directions could be found online at publication time.

Image: PTI (file photo), via The Tribune.