Emergency Meeting Held To Address Deteriorating Air Quality In NCR

New Delhi, Nov 4 (TNA) In wake of unfavourable meteorological conditions anticipated to deteriorate the air quality of the National Capital Region in the coming days, the Sub-Committee for invoking actions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas (CAQM) held a meeting on Thursday to take the call for further intensified actions required to be implemented by all concerned in the Delhi-NCR.

As per the dynamic model and weather/ meteorological forecast, the overall air quality over Delhi is likely to remain in ‘Severe’/ ‘Severe+’ category from November 3-5. The Commission while comprehensively reviewing the overall air quality parameters during the meeting noted that due to unfavorable meteorological conditions with slower wind speed and rising farm fire incidents, it is considered necessary to implement Stage IV of GRAP – ‘Severe+’ Air Quality (DELHI AQI > 450) with immediate effect as a precautionary step to avoid further deterioration of overall air quality in the NCR.

This is in addition to the restrictive actions mentioned in Stage I, Stage II and Stage III of GRAP. Stage IV – ‘Severe+’ Air Quality to primarily focus on vehicle restrictions including entry of commercial trucks into Delhi, diesel commercial vehicles for intra-Delhi movements and non—BS VI passenger vans, LMVs in Delhi. Various agencies responsible for implementing measures under GRAP and Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) of NCR and DPCC have also been advised to ensure strict implementation of actions of Stage IV under GRAP during this period.