Delhi NCR gets breather as CPCB revokes GRAP II amid improving air quality

As Delhi’s daily average air quality index (AQI) clocked 231, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Monday revoked Stage II of GRAP in the entire Delhi NCR with immediate effect, an official statement said.

According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Sub-Committee for Operationalization of Actions Under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) met today to review the current air quality scenario in the region and accordingly take appropriate action on the preventive and restrictive measures under Stage II of GRAP already in place in the entire National Capital Region (NCR) since October 21, 2023.

While comprehensively reviewing the overall air quality parameters of Delhi-NCR, the Sub-Committee observed that the average AQI of Delhi has considerably improved in the last 4-5 days and remained less than 300 from February 15 onwards. It has been recorded as 231 at 4:00 pm on February 19, which is about 70 AQI points below the threshold for invoking the GRAP Stage II actions (Delhi AQI 301–400), the statement said.

The forecast by IMD and IITM also indicates that the average AQI of Delhi will stay in the ‘Moderate/Poor’ category, with light rain/drizzle expected in the coming days. Therefore, keeping in view this trend of improvement in the overall AQI of Delhi and also the forecasts by IMD and IITM not indicating the average air quality of Delhi moving to the ‘Very Poor’ category in the coming days (for which a forecast is available), the Sub-Committee for operationalization of actions under GRAP unanimously decided to revoke Stage II of GRAP in the entire NCR with immediate effect, the statement added.