GRAP-III Restrictions Back In Delhi As Air Quality Turns Severe Again
The GRAP-III was reintroduced on Friday by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, after the air quality of NCR slipped back to severe category.
The Delhi government has banned the plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in the national capital under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage III, which came into effect on Friday.
The GRAP-III was reintroduced on Friday by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, after the air quality of NCR slipped back to severe category.
BCCL
What Delhi government said
The Delhi transport department, in its order, said the sub-committee for operationalisation of the revised GRAP has reviewed the air quality scenario as well as the forecast for meteorological conditions and air quality index in Delhi.
"As per directions as provided under Stage III of the revised GRAP and under Section 115 of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it is hereby ordered that there shall be restrictions to ply BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel LMVs (four-wheelers) in NCT of Delhi with immediate effect till further orders (except for vehicles deployed in emergency services, police vehicles and government vehicles used for enforcement)," the order said.
BCCL
"If any BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel LMVs (four-wheeler) found plying on road will be prosecuted under section 194 (1) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which provides with a fine of Rs 20,000," it said.
Stage-III across NCR
Under Stage III, restrictions are also imposed on the operation of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.
The GRAP is the Centre's air pollution control plan implemented in the region during winter.
The GRAP categorises actions into four stages: 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).
What else is banned
Under GRAP-III, non-essential construction work, stone crushing and mining have also been banned in Delhi until further orders.
BCCL
Construction work related to national security or defence, projects of national importance, healthcare, railways, metro rail, airports, interstate bus terminals, highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission, pipelines, sanitation and water supply are exempted from the ban.
On Saturday morning, the air quality index in Delhi was recorded at 447, which comes under the 'severe' category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
Read More
