NEW DELHI: In the face of rising AQI, the Sub-Committee for operationalization of GRAP on Saturday unanimously decided to wait and watch before invoking more stringent disruptive actions under Stage-IV of the plan.
Delhi’s overall AQI witnessed a rise on Friday and hovered around the 450-mark on Saturday afternoon forcing the sub-committee to meet and take stock of the air quality scenario.
Noting that the GRAP Stage-III was invoked on December 22 evening, the sub-committee found it reasonable to await the impact of the intensified preventive or restrictive actions, on the average AQI. Further, the forecasts by IMD/ IITM also indicated a gradual improvement in Delhi’s average AQI by late evening hours.
The ongoing actions under stages-I, II and III of GRAP shall continue for the present. The city recorded a minimum temperature of 9.6 degrees Celsius, two notches above the season’s average, according to the IMD.
Unfavourable meteorological conditions, including fog and haze, with low wind speed are the major causes behind this sudden spike in Delhi’s daily average AQI, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, stated.
Meanwhile, Environment Minister Gopal Rai also held a press conference earlier in the day to share the details of the GRAP III stage which was re-invoked last evening, imposing a ban on plying of BSIV diesel four-wheelers in the national capital.
