As Delhi’s air quality continues be in a deteriorating state, the Commission for Air Quality Management CAQM on Saturday tightened several of its pollution control measures under the Graded Response Actions Plan GRAP.
Under the new revisions, many of the measures for air quality deemed ‘poor’, 'very poor' and 'severe' under GRAP Stage IV are now to be taken under GRAP Stage III.
What are the changes under Grap III?
Under the revisions, the GRAP schedule is more stringent to prevent further air quality deterioration.
Under GRAP III, which is usually implemented when the air quality is deemed ‘severe’ (AQI ranging from 401-450), the Central government may now take an appropriate decision on permitting work from home for employees in the Government.
The NCR state government may also allow public, municipal and private offices to work at 50 per cent strength and would allow the rest to work from home.
Both measures used to be under GRAP IV.
Likewise, under GRAP II implemented during ‘very poor’ air quality, the state government can stagger timing for public officers and municipal bodies in the NCR-Delhi and surrounding districts.
The central government may also take a decision on staggered timings of government offices in Delhi.
Under GRAP I, the commission now includes the following measures.
1. Ensuring an uninterrupted power supply to discourage the use of alternate power-generating sets
2. Synchronising traffic movements and deployment of personnel at congestion points.
3. Alerts in the newspaper and media about the air pollution levels and do’s and don'ts
4. Augmenting public transportation through CNG buses and metro services by inducting an additional fleet and increasing frequency of service.
The air quality in Delhi on Saturday remained at very poor with the city’s AQI remaining at 205.
