The Centre on Friday ordered a ban on non-essential building work and plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi-NCR amid worsening air high quality within the area. Unfavourable meteorological circumstances together with fog and haze with low wind velocity are the key causes for a sudden spike in Delhi’s each day common air high quality index (AQI), the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory physique chargeable for formulating methods to fight air pollution within the area, mentioned in an order.
Delhi’s general AQI is steadily rising since this morning. It stood at 397 at 10 am and 409 at 4 pm.
Re-invoking curbs beneath Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the CAQM ordered a ban on non-essential building work, stone crushing, and mining in Delhi-NCR.
Construction work associated to nationwide safety or protection, initiatives of nationwide significance, healthcare, railways, metro rail, airports, interstate bus terminals, highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, energy transmission, pipelines, sanitation, and water provide are exempted from the ban.
Under Stage-III, restrictions are additionally imposed on the operation of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.
GRAP is the Centre’s air air pollution management plan carried out within the area throughout the winter season.
GRAP categorises actions into 4 phases: Stage I – ‘Poor’ (AQI 201-300); Stage II – ‘Very Poor’ (AQI 301-400); Stage III – ‘Severe’ (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV – ‘Severe Plus’ (AQI>450).
