Day after GRAP III withdrawal, air quality remains ‘very poor’

A day after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) revoked restrictions under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the National Capital Region, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Thursday morning. The city’s overall air quality index (AQI) on Thursday was recorded at 377.

On Wednesday, the 24-hour average AQI at 4 pm stood at 327. It was better than Tuesday’s 353 and Monday’s 328, marking 21 consecutive days with AQI above 300.

Several monitoring stations, including Burari, Anand Vihar, Chandni Chowk, Jahangirpuri, Narela, Dwarka and Rohini, reported AQI above 300.

The CAQM said Stage III restrictions had been revoked as the AQI had shown slight improvement, adding that curbs under Stage 1 and Stage 2 would be strengthened.

The order stated that construction and demolition sites that were earlier issued closure notices cannot restart work without a specific clearance from the commission. Forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) suggest that air quality is likely to stay in the ‘very poor’ range in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the BJP-led government of “manipulating” pollution data. In a press briefing on Thursday, senior AAP leader and former Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the government was “trying to show reduced pollution on paper while people continue to face its impact.”

“This is the first time I am seeing a government focusing on data management instead of taking steps on the ground. If someone hides an illness, it will only become more severe,” he said.

He also raised questions over the decision to revoke Stage III measures. “Yesterday, the AQI was lower and GRAP III was in force. Today, the AQI is higher, but the restrictions have been removed,” he said.

Six new monitoring stations to be ready by Jan 15

The Delhi Government has started work on installing six new continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations across the city, which are expected to become operational by January 15, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Wednesday.

The minister said the stations were being set up by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) under a project that includes supply, installation, commissioning and 10 years of operation and maintenance. A technical partner has been finalised through a tender process.

The new units will be located at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), ISRO Earth Station near Malcha Mahal, Delhi Cantonment, Commonwealth Sports Complex and Netaji Subhash University of Technology (West Campus). These locations fall across institutional and residential areas in South, Central and South West Delhi.

The stations will also record meteorological details such as wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, rainfall and solar radiation, the minister said.