With the lifting of GRAP-4, Delhi can breathe easier, but “stay vigilant”

“Though there has been a constant improvement in air quality, people still need to be aware in order to maintain this improvement,” Gopal Rai stated at a press conference.Nov. 19, New Delhi [India]: Environment Minister Gopal Rai urged the public to exercise caution and adhere to the regulations as stages 1, 2, and 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) remain in effect to combat air pollution in the nation’s capital, one day after restrictions under the GRAP – 4 were lifted in Delhi due to an improvement in the quality of the air.

“Over the past two days, there has been a steady improvement in the pollution levels. As of right now, the AQI is at 290. I would like to ask everyone in Delhi and throughout North India to exercise caution. Even if pollution levels have decreased, caution is still necessary. The AQI was at 215 prior to Diwali, but after Diwali, it rose due to the negligence that followed,” he stated.

The restrictions imposed under GRAP 4 were lifted on Saturday by the CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management) due to the improvement in Delhi’s air quality. This allowed trucks and buses to enter the city, with the exception of BS-3 and BS-4 petrol and diesel vehicles, and lifted the prohibition on ongoing construction activities.

During the press conference, Gopal Rai emphasized that Delhi still needs to adopt GRAP 1, GRAP 2, and GRAP 3 in its entirety. The removal of these restrictions will also be taken into consideration after pollution levels have further improved, he continued.

Regarding the vehicle-related restrictions, Gopal Rai stated, “The entry ban for trucks has been lifted, but the ban on BS3 gasoline and BS4 diesel cars remains in effect. Therefore, only trucks or other vehicles exceeding BS 4 have had the ban lifted.”

He added at the press conference that the linear projects that were put on hold under GRAP 4—such as Raj Marg, flyovers, foot-over bridges, and other projects of a similar nature—have been given the go-ahead to restart construction.Gopal Rai enumerated the following locations where construction work can be done: hospitals, linear projects, national significance projects, airports, international bus terminals, railways, metro, station projects, national security processes, and cleanliness initiatives.

“The activities that are still prohibited include boring and digging, structural construction, demolition and loading or unloading of construction material at project sites,” he stated.
He continued his list of forbidden activities by adding driving on unmetalled highways, operating benching plants, cutting and working with tiles and other flooring materials, and mining activities.
“We have to ensure that we do not get confused between GRAP 4 and GRAP 3 restrictions, as GRAP-4 restrictions have been removed but GRAP 3 restrictions are still in place,” Rai stated.