NCR air quality panel tightens winter pollution curbs

The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) on Tuesday announced tighter restrictions under a revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to mitigate air pollution in Delhi and nearby districts during winter.

An exemption allowing trucks that are not BS-VI compliant and carry essential commodities to enter Delhi during extreme pollution has been withdrawn.

GRAP is a set of short-term emergency measures taken to reduce air pollution and is divided into four stages depending on the level of air pollution that exists at a particular time or is predicted for the near future.

The commission has also added Sonipat to the existing list of high-vehicle-density districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar, where BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars will not be allowed to ply during Stage 3 of GRAP.

It also added pothole repair to the list of exceptions during a ban on construction and demolition activities under Stage 3.

Differently abled commuters will continue to be permitted to ply BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars even during Stage 3 of GRAP, provided that these are specifically adapted for them and are run only for their personal use, read the CAQM order.

It said that trucks that are EVs, BS-VI compliant or run on CNG or LNG will continue to be permitted during Stage 4.

The pollution watchdog has also removed the exception that allowed Delhi-registered diesel-operated medium goods vehicles that are not BS-VI compliant but carry essential commodities or provide essential services to ply in the city during Stage 3.

The revised GRAP order has also removed the exception for diesel-operated light goods vehicles registered outside Delhi that carry essential commodities or provide essential services, barring those from entering the Capital during Stage 3.

Every winter, air pollution spikes in Delhi-NCR and many parts of the larger Indo-Gangetic Plains, mainly due to meteorological factors such as lower wind speeds and a drop in temperature. Pollution from stubble burning during October and November and the bursting of firecrackers during the festive season worsens air quality and adds to emissions from vehicles and dust.