Delhi’s air quality ‘severe’ at over 420 as GRAP 4 returns | Check area-wise AQI
Delhi woke up to an ‘severe’ category air quality on Tuesday, with the overall AQI at 421 at around 8 am, according to the central government’s Sameer app, which provides hourly updates on the National Air Quality Index.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) of other cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) was no better, with Greater Noida recording an AQI of 398, while Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram were 382, 380 and 356, respectively. Faridabad (258) had the best air quality in the region.
AQI at several monitoring stations in Delhi at 8 am
Alipur: 454
Anand Vihar: 467
Ashok Vihar: 459
Aya Nagar: 355
Bawana: 467
Burari Crossing: 449
CRRI Mathura Road: 431
Delhi Technological University: 448
Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range: 402
Dwarka (Sector 8): 429
IHBAS (Dilshad Garden): 320
ITO: 436
Jahangirpuri: 468
JLN Stadium: 414
Lodhi Road: 312
Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium: 428
Mandir Marg: 415
Mundka: 436
NSIT Dwarka: 289
Najafgarh: 358
Narela: 446
Nehru Nagar: 463
North Campus (Delhi University): 437
Okhla (Phase 2): 435
Patparganj: 447
GRAP 4 curbs return
In view of the worsening air quality, the Union government’s Centre for Air Quality Management (CAQM) reimposed anti-pollution curbs under Stage 4 of its Graded Action Response Plan (GRAP), effective immediately, across NCR.
At 9 pm on Monday, Delhi’s AQI had reached 399, and crossed the 400 mark by 10 pm, prompting an emergency meeting of the CAQM, where officials decided to bring back restrictions under Stage 4 of GRAP.
On December 5, the Supreme Court allowed the CAQM to relax the Stage 4 curbs to Stage 2 in view of improvement in the AQI levels of NCR.
GRAP 4 restrictions include a ban on all construction activities, ban on the entry of polluting trucks carrying non-essential goods into Delhi and mandatory shifting of school classes, except those for X and XII, to hybrid mode.