Cong slams ‘reactive’ approach as GRAP-III enforced in Delhi

As Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was enforced in Delhi amid worsening air quality, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday criticised the government’s continued reliance on emergency measures, calling the approach “reactive” and inadequate for long-term pollution control.

“GRAP III has just been activated in the nation’s capital,” Ramesh said, recalling that the Supreme Court had first mandated the GRAP in response to the 2014-17 winter pollution crisis, with the plan formally notified in January 2017.

He noted that GRAP, designed to trigger emergency curbs during severe smog episodes, was originally meant to be a temporary response tool until year-round emission control improved. “Sadly, it has remained the dominant focus of clean-air action,” he said.

The Congress leader observed that while GRAP was initially implemented only after three consecutive “severe” air-quality days, it now responds continuously to day-to-day fluctuations, making it “essentially reactive”.

“The emphasis is on crisis management and not on crisis avoidance,” remarked Ramesh, stressing that Delhi needs “tough multi-sectoral actions with scale and speed round the year” to achieve meaningful change and mitigate the public health risks posed by toxic air.

He further pointed out that Delhi still requires “more than a 60% reduction in its annual PM2.5 levels” to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, “let alone the stricter WHO guidelines”.