Delhi AQI 'severe' for 3rd day, GRAP-III curbs imposed

Delhi woke up to GRAP Stage III restrictions on Friday, as the city's air quality remained in the severe category for the third consecutive day, prompting strict measures to curb pollution levels.

According to the Sameer aap, the Air Quality Index at 9 am was recorded in the severe' category (400 to 500), with a reading of 411.

The CAQM imposed GRAP Stage III as the national capital recorded the worst pollution levels in the country, with the air quality remaining in the severe category for two consecutive days.

Prior to entering the severe category, Delhi's air quality had been in the very poor range for 14 consecutive days.

It directed the authorities in Delhi-NCR to invoke curbs under stage III of the anti-pollution plan with immediate effect.

The GRAP for Delhi-NCR is divided into four stages of air quality Stage 1 for poor Air Quality Index (AQI) ranging between 201 and 300, Stage 2 for very poor AQI of 301-400, Stage 3 for severe AQI of 401-450 and Stage 4 for severe plus AQI more than 450.

Curbs under Stage III include a ban on non-essential construction and demolition, closure of stone crushers and mining activities in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).

Under the Stage-IV restrictions of GRAP, all inter-state buses from NCR states except electric vehicles, CNG vehicles and BS-VI diesel buseswill be prohibited from entering Delhi, alongside a stringent ban on construction and demolition activities, suspension of mining-related activities, consideration of shifting to online classes for students up to Class V and daily water sprinkling on major roads.

Meanwhile, out of 39 monitoring stations in Delhi, a total of 27 stations recorded air quality in the severe' category, with readings above 400.

These stations include Alipur, Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Aya Nagar, Bawana, CRRI Mathura Road, IGI Airport, ITO, Jahangirpuri, Mandir Marg, Mundka, Najafgarh, Nehru Nagar, North Campus, Okhla Phase 2, Patparganj, Punjabi Bagh, Pusa, RK Puram, Rohini, and several others.

The city recorded its lowest minimum temperature (night time temperature) of the season at 15.6 degree Celsius, 2.6 notches above normal, according to the weather department.

The night time temperature on Thursday was recorded at 16.1°C, the second highest of the season so far.

A thick veil of fog blanketed the city, reducing visibility at Safdarjung to 400 meters at 7 am on Friday.

Humidity was recorded at 98 per cent at 8:30 am.

The weather department has forecast very dense fog for the day, with the maximum temperature expected to settle at 29 degrees Celsius.

Additionally, Delhi's air quality has been recorded as the worst in the country for the past two days.