New Delhi:

Pollution curbs under GRAP-3 have been revoked in Delhi and the National Capital Region after air quality improved in the area following continuous rain since Friday morning. 

“Owing to the favourable meteorological conditions and continuous rains since early morning, the AQI of Delhi has been continuously improving and has been recorded as 348 at 5:00 PM and 341 at 6:00 PM & 334 at 7:00 PM,” the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which is the pollution watchdog for the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas, said in a statement. 

The CAQM said that as per the air quality and weather forecast by the India Meteorological Department and IIT Madras, the AQI of Delhi is expected to remain in the ‘poor’ category (between 200 and 300) for the next few days. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A cold wave is intensifying across North India, including Delhi-NCR, as temperatures dip following light rain in the plains and snowfall in the mountains. Delhi is grappling with a double threat of pollution and plummeting temperatures, while cold wave and fog conditions persist in Punjab and Haryana. Snowfall and cold wave alerts have been issued for Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, with rising cold also being felt in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 7 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, with a thin layer of fog enveloping parts of the national capital. On Monday, the minimum temperature stood at 8 degrees Celsius, while the maximum reached 20 degrees Celsius.

Residents of the national capital were seen gathering bonfires to combat the chill, while others took refuge in night shelter homes as temperatures continued to drop in Delhi.

In Rajasthan, the cold weather persisted, significantly impacting daily life due to the falling temperatures. In Bikaner, the temperature was recorded at 9 degrees Celsius, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

Cold wave continues to affect the daily life of the people in Jammu and Kashmir, with temperatures dropping below zero in many areas. Srinagar recorded a temperature of -5.2 degrees Celsius at 5:30 am on Tuesday. Other recorded temperatures included -0.6 degrees Celsius in Gulmarg, – 6.8 degrees Celsius in Pahalgam, – 0.8 degrees Celsius in Banihal and – 4.6 degrees Celsius in Kupwara.

On Monday, Srinagar experienced a minimum temperature of -7 degrees Celsius and a maximum temperature of 7 degrees Celsius, as reported by the IMD.

As per the IMD, a cold wave is considered when the minimum temperature of a station is 10 degrees Celsius or less for plains and 0 degrees Celsius or less for Hilly regions.

The IMD forecasts a severe cold wave in Jammu and Kashmir starting from December 24. Additionally, dense fog conditions and a cold wave are expected to prevail from December 23 to 25 in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and other states.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital was classified in the ‘severe’ category on Tuesday, with visibility limited by the fog. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI was recorded at 401 at 8 AM. On the previous day, the AQI also fell into the ‘severe’ category, measuring 403 at 7 AM.

Specific AQI readings included 417 in Alipur, 423 in Anand Vihar, 425 in RK Puram, and 402 at ITO.

An AQI rating is categorized as follows: 0-50 (good), 51-100 (satisfactory), 101-200 (moderate), 201-300 (poor), 301-400 (very poor), and 401-500 (severe).

(With inputs from ANI)

New Delhi:

Delhi recorded the highest number of ‘good’ to ‘moderate’ air quality days in 2024 since the past six years, data shared by monitoring agencies said.

According to the data, a total of 207 days saw ‘good’ to ‘moderate’ air quality, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) remaining below 200. The month of December recorded six ‘moderate’ air quality days so far – surpassing the previous records since 2018. The data showed that so far, December witnessed a total of eight ‘poor’ to ‘severe’ air quality days.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, 401 and 450 severe, and above 450 severe-plus.

“I do feel a difference in the air…Last few weeks I’ve been cycling here but the visibility was very poor. Today, it is fairly clear,” a resident told NDTV.

Delhi’s AQI touched the ‘severe plus’ category this season post-Diwali, forcing the authorities to impose the fourth and last stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Under this, all schools were shifted online and a ban was imposed on Delhi-registered BS-IV or older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles. All the construction activities in the national capital were also halted.

On December 5, the Supreme Court allowed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to relax GRAP stage IV restrictions as the air quality improved. Since then, the AQI in the national capital has been reeling between ‘poor’ to ‘moderate’.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Delhi’s air quality was recorded in the ‘poor’ category today, with the AQI at 246 in the morning. On Saturday, it was measured at 212.

We, the people of Delhi, are in a bad marriage with the city. This marriage is beyond redemption, but both parties dither in calling it quits. Because calling it quits brings not only pain but also an acknowledgement that we made a mistake. So, we carry on with the burden of our past mistakes on our fingers only to dig our claws deeper into each other’s skin. 

On a ‘good’ day, such as today, the AQI reading in Delhi is 407. We are jubilant at the sickly sunshine trickling through the slightly dissipated smog. At least it’s not 1600. At least s/he isn’t hitting me in the face. We are so used to the drama of this destructive toxicity that we are scared of the lack of drama. Our lungs get into a shock when we are exposed to clean, crisp air the way we feel threatened by a love that does not thrive on contractual power dynamics. We are instinctively scared and suspicious. We seek beauty in the haze of smog exactly how we find comfort in the seeming stability of a marriage.

This beauty and this stability are enough to kill us a hundred times over. 

Pollution, Marriage And Class

Resorting to generalisations, there is a class-defined perception of pollution of both marriage and air. While the rich keep discussing it ad nauseam from the relative comforts of their homes—with airconditioning and purifiers cranked up to max—the poor have no such luxury. In fact, they light a fire to keep them warm. The results are the same.

The rich have the luxury of getaways and vacations to lull them into thinking that it’s not that bad. Or that it’s temporary. The poor have their fatalism going for them. What’s even the point of complaining when everything is awful anyway? This is us. This is how it is. This is how we live and die. The poor also mimic the rich without the safety net.

A recent report claims that there’s no Delhi household without at least one member suffering from a pollution-related ailment. There are about 200 listed marriage counsellors in Delhi. The unlisted number could be even higher. And then there is the bevvy of family and friends who are ever so ready with their advice. There are at least 10,000 divorce lawyers in the city. You get the gist. Yet, it’s a good day today. 

It’s very easy to blame the ‘other’ for when things get ugly. It’s the farmers of Haryana and Punjab. No, it’s the automobiles in NCR. It’s the other woman. Are you crazy? It’s her nosy family, silly. It’s her. It’s him. It’s them. It’s never me.

Shifting Goalposts

We decide to GRAP-ple. We find new goalposts, we shift the old ones. “This is reasonable. At least today is better than yesterday.” And we fall into the old patterns when the obvious disasters, the 1600 AQI, come down to the ‘reasonable’ limits of 450. We go back to keeping up the pretences for ourselves and others. We even celebrate with outdoor brunches.

We want somebody else to “fix” everything. We look at forces larger than us. God and government. Neither is interested in fixing anything. Governments and corporations have vested interests in maintaining the status quo because the alternative is inconvenient. Just as acknowledging a troubled marriage in the family is inconvenient. Turning a blind eye suits everyone. 

But there are children involved, too. Oh, they will be fine. They need this. They need a good school. They need opportunities. They need stability. Stability. They’ll grow up as ‘stable’ people from ‘stable’ families. The outside world is dirty anyway. They need not breathe in it. Let’s buy them screens to shield them. Let’s settle.  

We’re Culpable, Too

The resilience of the human body is unmatched. We get used to every horror if exposed long enough to it, from bad sex to bad air. It’s not a good thing. It stops us from seeking change. We seek and demand change only when we can’t bear it and our body gives up. But in most cases, it’s too late by then.

We have the laws on our side to protect us. We don’t know how to get them to protect us. Because that needs work. But, before that, an honest admission is needed: we have been living out our mistakes. We are enablers. We are culpable, too.

We’ll keep burning stubble, sex, and dirty sources of power. 

We’ll keep constructing and deconstructing—villas, slums, dreams and demons. 

What we’ll not do is upset the apple cart. Because we are taking it one day at a time. Because in the end, we are all dead. 

(Nishtha Gautam is a Delhi-based author and academic.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

New Delhi:

Pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, which had crossed the 500-mark on Monday and stayed there, has started dropping, indicating that the stringent GRAP 4 measures have started taking effect. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Arvind Nautiyal, Member-Secretary of the Commission for Air Quality Management, said the Air Quality Index or AQI — which measures pollutants – that had been 500, has come down to 467.

“Today, the visibility has improved. There has been some change in the weather, but the pollution has reduced due to GRAP-IV,” he told NDTV.

On Monday, the pollution level had suddenly spiked and the situation was not much better this morning, with the AQI staying at 500 in some parts. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) data, Delhi’s overall AQI was 494 at 6 am — in the ‘severe plus’ category..

“The pollution level had increased a lot in the entire city… and the AQI level had reached close to 500… We have 40 pollution monitoring centers in Delhi-NCR,” he said.

The meteorological department has predicted that the weather will improve in the coming days and more impact of GRAP-IV can be seen.

The weather has been unpredictable this year as the winter smog hit the city in November — far ahead of its usual December-January schedule.

“The AQI increased by 90 points in a day, which was unexpected. That is why we had to implement GRAP-IV quickly,” Mr Nautiyal added.

After implementing GRAP IV measures, which include stopping of construction work and entry of heavy vehicles registered outside Delhi, and ordering schools to go online, Delhi is now considering cloud seeding to induce artificial rain. There is also talk of re-introducing the odd-even road rationing scheme and work from home for offices.
 

New Delhi:

A thick blanket of smog continued to grip Delhi and its adjoining areas on Tuesday morning, as the air quality nearly touched the 500 mark. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) data, Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 494 at 6 am – in the ‘severe plus’ category.

Of the 35 monitoring stations in the national capital, most recorded an AQI of 500. The lowest AQI of 480 was recorded at NSIT Dwarka, the real-time data showed.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also issued an ‘orange’ alert for dense fog for the second consecutive day.

Trains and flights have been delayed or cancelled as the visibility plunged due to the toxic smog in India’s capital. At least 22 trains were delayed and nine others were cancelled on Tuesday morning, reported news agency ANI.

IndiGo Airlines, in an advisory late-night, said, “Foggy weather in Delhi, Amritsar, and Chandigarh is affecting travel conditions, including slow-moving traffic and possible changes to flight operations. Please plan accordingly and stay updated on the flight status for a smooth journey.”

#6ETravelAdvisory : Foggy weather in Delhi, Amritsar & Chandigarh is affecting travel conditions, including slow-moving traffic and possible changes to flight operations. Please plan accordingly and stay updated on the flight status for a smooth journey https://t.co/rpnOvAOxQl

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) November 18, 2024

On Monday, the Delhi government imposed Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), an anti-pollution plan – in addition to the first three stages.

Under the GRAP-4 measures, a ban has been imposed on Delhi-registered BS-IV or older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles. All trucks and light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi will not be allowed to enter the national capital, except for those carrying essential commodities or providing essential services.

Additionally, public and private offices have been asked to work at 50 per cent capacity and the rest have been recommended to work from home. All schools have been either closed or gone online.

According to a government release, the state government may consider additional emergency measures such as the closure of non-emergency commercial activities, and permitting the running of vehicles on an odd-even basis of registration numbers.

Schools shut across Delhi-NCR

Schools across Delhi-NCR have been shut owing to the severe air pollution and hazardous AQI levels.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said that all physical classes till Class 12 have been suspended and all studies are being shifted online. The Delhi University and the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have decided to conduct online classes till November 22

In Haryana’s Gurugram, all classes up to Class 12 have been suspended from November 19 to November 23 or until further notice. Ghaziabad, which touched AQI of 450, has also directed schools to go online. The district administration in Gautam Buddh Nagar too has directed schools to discontinue all physical classes.

Supreme Court raps Delhi government

On Monday, the Supreme Court directed Delhi and the NCR states to strictly implement GRAP 4 measures and questioned why it took so long to impose them. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih also instructed Delhi-NCR states to immediately form teams to monitor compliance with actions required under the plan.

The court also ordered that the GRAP 4 measures must continue even if the AQI falls below 450, adding that they cannot be relaxed with the top court’s permission.

New Delhi:

Delhi’s air quality plunged to ‘severe plus’ for the first time this year on Sunday night, forcing the government to implement Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) – an anti-pollution plan. The GRAP-4 will come into effect at 8 am Monday onwards.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) data, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was 481 at 6 am. Of the 35 monitoring stations in the national capital, most recorded over 400 AQI, with Dwarka reporting the highest at 499.

A dense blanket of smog has gripped the national capital for the sixth consecutive day, with visibility plunging to 150 metres. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also issued an ‘orange’ alert for “dense fog” today.

Under GRAP 4, there is a ban on construction and demolition activities, including linear public projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission, and pipelines. 

Here is a list of major projects in Delhi that will be impacted due to GRAP-4 restrictions:

The work on making six underpasses and bypasses in Delhi will be delayed. These include three underpasses to make Mukarba Chowk and Haiderpur Metro Road jam-free. 

The underpass to go to the Ring Road from Bhairon Marg near Pragati Maidan has also been put on hold.

The work of Barapula Elevated Corridor Phase-3 in front of Mayur Vihar Phase-1, Yamuna Khadar, is also likely to be affected.

The construction of four new hospitals across the national capital will likely be delayed.

Restrictions under GRAP-4

Under the GRAP-4, a ban has been imposed on Delhi-registered BS-IV or older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles. All trucks and light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi will not be allowed to enter the national capital, except for those carrying essential commodities or providing essential services

Additionally, all schools have been shifted online, except for Classes 10 and 12. Public and private offices have also been asked to work at 50 per cent capacity and the rest have been recommended to work from home.

According to a government release, the state government may consider additional emergency measures such as the closure of non-emergency commercial activities, and permitting the running of vehicles on an odd-even basis of registration numbers.

New Delhi:

A thick layer of smog – a toxic blend of smoke and fog – enveloped the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) this morning as the air quality index (AQI) plummeted to the “severe-plus” category, forcing authorities to announce stricter pollution control measures.

Smog also affected visibility in the national capital which various airlines said could delay flight schedules. Visibility at Palam dropped to 150 metres at 7 am.

#6ETravelAdvisory: Fog is currently affecting visibility in Delhi, which may result in slow moving traffic and delays in flight schedules. We recommend allowing extra travel time and checking flight status before starting your journey https://t.co/rpnOvAOxQl. Safe travels!

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) November 17, 2024

Kind attention to all flyers!#Fog#FogAlert#DelhiAirportpic.twitter.com/QRx6v26Ral

— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) November 18, 2024

According to the real-time data provided by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the AQI in Delhi was recorded at 481 at 6 am, the worst so far this season. Officials said it was due to “unfavourable” meteorological conditions in Delhi-NCR.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, 401 and 450 severe, and above 450 severe-plus.

The Centre’s air quality panel has invoked stricter pollution control measures for the Delhi-NCR under Stage 4 of the anti-pollution plan Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), effective from 8 am today. This is in addition to the preventive actions announced under Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 of GRAP already in force.

The GRAP for Delhi-NCR is divided into four stages of air quality: Stage 1 for “poor” air quality (AQI ranging from 201 to 300), Stage 2 for “very poor” air quality (AQI from 301 to 400), Stage 3 for “severe” air quality (AQI from 401 to 450), and Stage 4 for “severe-plus” air quality (AQI above 450).

The panel – Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) – has urged the public, particularly children, senior citizens and those with respiratory, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular or other chronic diseases, to stay indoors.

GRAP 4 In Delhi As Air Quality Worsens

Under Grap 4, no trucks will be allowed into Delhi except for those carrying essential items or using clean fuel (LNG/CNG/BS-VI diesel/electric). Non-essential light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi will be prohibited, except for EVs and CNG and BS-VI diesel ones and those carrying essential items.

Delhi-registered BS-IV or older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles are banned, except for those in essential services.

In-person classes have been suspended for all except for students in classes 10 and 12.

All construction activities, including highways, roads, flyovers, power lines, pipelines and other public projects, have been suspended.

Public and private offices in Delhi-NCR have been recommended to work at 50 per cent capacity, with the rest working from home. Work-from-home options may also be introduced for central government employees.

State governments could also close colleges, limit non-essential commercial activities and implement odd-even vehicle rules.

Around 38% of the pollution in the national capital this year has been caused by stubble burning or farm fires in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

Delhi grapples with smog each winter as cold air traps dust, emissions and smoke from illegal farm fires.

New Delhi:

As Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category for the second consecutive day, the Centre’s air pollution control panel for Delhi-NCR directed state governments in the region to implement the first stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

Following Dussehra and other festivities, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 281 as of 6.20 am on Tuesday, making it the seventh most polluted city in the country, after Noida and Greater Noida.

Here are the measures that are implemented under the various stages of GRAP, the first stage of which came into effect in Delhi-NCR at 8 am:

Stage 1 (AQI 201-300):

• Periodic mechanised sweeping and water sprinkling on roads.
• Dust mitigation at construction sites.
• Proper waste management.
• Strict checks on polluting vehicles, better traffic management, and emission controls in industries, power plants, and brick kilns.
• Bans on open burning of waste, limited use of diesel generators, and no use of coal or firewood in eateries. 
• Quick actions for redressal of complaints on 311 APP, Green Delhi App, SAMEER App and other such social media platforms to curb polluting activities. 
• Encourage offices to start unified commutes for employees to reduce traffic on the road.
• Advisory to celebrate festivals in an eco-friendly manner by avoiding firecrackers.

Stage 2 (AQI 301-400):

• Mechanised sweeping and water sprinkling on roads on a daily basis.
• Focussed and targeted action for abatement of air pollution in all identified hotspots.
• Uninterrupted power supply to discourage use of alternate power generating sets.
• Alert in newspapers/TV/radio to advise people about air pollution levels.
• Enhance vehicle parking fees to discourage private transport.
• Resident Welfare Associations are required to provide electric heaters to security staff.
• Augment CNG/electric bus and metro services by inducting additional fleet and increasing the frequency of service. 

Stage 3 (AQI 401-450):

• More frequent mechanised road sweeping and daily water sprinkling along with dust suppressants, before peak traffic hours, on roads and hotspots.
• Further intensify public transport services with rates to encourage off-peak travel.
• Stop mining and stone-crushing activities.
• Strict restrictions on BS lll petrol and BS lV diesel LMVS (4 wheelers), strict restrictions on Delhi-registered Diesel operated Medium Goods Vehicles (MGVS) to BS-lll standards, BS-lll and below diesel operated LCVS (goods carriers) registered outside Delhi not permitted to enter Delhi, lnter-State buses from NCR states other than EVs/CNG/BS-Vl diesel, to not enter Delhi,
• Possible discontinuing physical classes in schools for children up to Class V.
• Strict curbs on construction and demolition activities.

Stage 4 (AQI >450):

• Stop entry of truck traffic into Delhi.
• Ban on construction and demolition activites for linear public projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission, pipelines, telecommunication etc.
• Government can discontinue physical classes, including for Classes Vl – lX and Class Xl.
• Government to take a decision on allowing public, municipal and private offices to work on 50% strength and the rest to work from home.
• State governments may consider additional emergency measures like the closure of colleges/educational institutions and closure of non-emergency commercial activities, permitting the running of vehicles on the odd-even basis of registration numbers etc.
• Children, the elderly and those with respiratory, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, or other chronic diseases to avoid outdoor activities and stay indoors.