Tue Dec 24 13:33:00 UTC 2024: ## Delhi Lifts Strictest Air Pollution Measures as AQI Improves

**New Delhi, India –** The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has revoked the strictest Stage-4 measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi and its surrounding areas. The decision follows a significant improvement in the Air Quality Index (AQI), which currently stands at 364 (“very poor”), 36 points below the Supreme Court-mandated threshold for triggering Stage-4 restrictions.

While Stage-4 curbs, including a construction ban, restrictions on non-essential trucks, and a shift to hybrid schooling (excluding classes 10 and 12), have been lifted, Stage 1, 2, and 3 measures remain in effect to prevent further deterioration. These less stringent measures continue to be monitored and enforced across the National Capital Region (NCR).

Stage-4 was reinstated just 10 days ago, on December 16th, after the AQI exceeded 400. The current improvement is attributed to favorable meteorological conditions, including increased wind speeds, according to the India Meteorological Department and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. However, the AQI is expected to remain in the “very poor” category in the coming days.

The GRAP is a multi-stage emergency plan designed to combat Delhi’s annual air pollution crisis, which is exacerbated by factors such as low wind speeds, vehicle emissions, and agricultural burning. The recent Supreme Court directive to Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to enforce a year-round firecracker ban, following a similar move by the Delhi government, is also part of the ongoing effort to improve air quality.

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