Delhi-NCR Air Quality Slips to ‘Severe’, GRAP Stage-III Restrictions Enforced

Air quality in Delhi-NCR deteriorated sharply to the ‘severe’ category, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to enforce Stage-III measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on December 13. The capital’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) rose from 349 on December 12 to 401 by Saturday morning, driven by slow wind speeds, a stable atmosphere and poor dispersion of pollutants, officials said.

Following the escalation, authorities ordered schools up to Class 5 to switch to hybrid mode and imposed restrictions on non-essential construction, demolition, mining and stone-crushing activities. The entry of older diesel goods vehicles has been banned in Delhi, while BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers face restrictions across key NCR cities including Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar. Offices have also been advised to operate with only 50% staff.

Pollution levels remained alarming across several hotspots. Wazirpur recorded the highest AQI at 443, followed by Jahangirpuri, Vivek Vihar, Rohini, Anand Vihar and Ashok Vihar, all crossing the hazardous mark. Neighbouring cities also mirrored the crisis, with Ghaziabad and Noida logging AQI levels of 422 each, while Gurugram and Faridabad reported ‘poor’ to ‘moderate’ air quality. Authorities warned that Delhi-NCR continues to face recurring winter pollution due to vehicle emissions, crop residue burning and unfavourable weather conditions.

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