Delhi AQI nears ‘severe’, GRAP-3 kicks in
New Delhi, October 29
As the air quality in Delhi neared “severe” category, posing health risks to residents in the region, the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas directed a complete ban on construction activities barring those meant for national security and other exempted categories. The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi was 397 at 4 pm, the worst since January. The AQI in 401-450 bracket is categorised as “severe”. It has continued to deteriorate and was 354 on Thursday, 271 on Wednesday, 302 on Tuesday and 312 on Monday (Diwali). To prevent further deterioration of air quality, the CAQM today immediately invoked stage-III of the Revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for the NCR and Delhi. GRAP stage-3 set in immediately in the entire NCR.
Under the plan, which details responses by state governments and other agencies to curb pollution, an immediate ban has been imposed on construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR. The following projects would remain exempted from the construction and demolition ban—railways, metro rail services, airports and inter-state bus terminals; national security and defence-related activities; hospitals and health facilities; linear public projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission and pipelines and sanitation projects like sewage treatment plants and water supply projects.
Stone crushers would be closed down to tackle pollution and the new plan also requires NCR agencies to close brick kilns and hot mix plants not operating on fuels as approved by the CAQM. The ban on construction will affect housing projects in Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has, meanwhile, called a high-level meeting on Sunday to discuss measures under the CAQM’s stage-3 GRAP. — TNS
About GRAP-3
- CAQM has ordered invocation of stage-3 of graded response action plan (GRAP)
- Involves strict ban on construction and demolition activities except exempted categories
- Ban also on other dust-generating activities, including mining, excavation and drilling
- Daily water sprinkling and use of dust suppressants before peak traffic hours on roads
12,112 farm fires in Punjab, 8,416 in a week
- 1,898 cases on Saturday, 2nd highest single-day tally this year
- On Oct 29, 2020, Punjab saw 1,541 farm fires, tally was 1,353 in 2021
- CM Bhagwant Mann’s home district, Sangrur, saw the maximum farm fires in the state on Saturday with 286 incidents
- It was followed by Patiala, the home district of former CM Capt Amarinder Singh, which saw 268 farm fires
- There have been 1,701 farm fires in Haryana, 632 in UP, 448 in Madhya Pradesh, 5 in Delhi and 190 in R’sthan this season
