Thu Jan 16 18:08:57 UTC 2025: **Delhi Lifts Strictest Air Pollution Curbs as Air Quality Improves**

NEW DELHI — The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) lifted the strictest Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage 4 restrictions in Delhi on Thursday, January 16, following an improvement in the city’s air quality. While the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 301 (“very poor”), signifying a decrease from Wednesday’s 386 (“severe”), less stringent GRAP Stage 3 restrictions remain in place.

The CAQM implemented GRAP Stage 4 on Wednesday in response to the deteriorating air quality, prompting the Delhi government to shift classes for grades 9-12 to a hybrid model. GRAP Stage 3 restrictions, which continue, include a ban on non-essential construction, the movement of older diesel-operated medium goods vehicles, and restrictions on the use of older petrol and diesel cars. Classes up to grade 5 are also under a hybrid learning mandate.

The CAQM’s GRAP framework triggers different levels of restrictions based on AQI levels, ranging from Stage 1 (“poor” AQI) to Stage 4 (“severe plus” AQI). The swift implementation and subsequent revocation of GRAP Stage 4 highlight the CAQM’s dynamic response to fluctuating air quality conditions in Delhi during the winter months, a period typically characterized by higher pollution levels.

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