CAQM invoked GRAP Stage I across Delhi-NCR as air quality deteriorated.
Delhi’s AQI climbed from 179 on Tuesday to 244 on Wednesday.
Measures target construction dust, polluting vehicles, waste burning and industrial emissions.
Pollution curbs under Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) were imposed across Delhi-NCR on Wednesday after the capital’s air quality deteriorated to the ‘poor’ category.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said Delhi’s Air Quality Index rose from 179 on Tuesday to 244 at 2 pm on Wednesday. Forecasts indicated that air quality would remain poor in the coming days.
“Actions under Stage-I of the Grap shall be implemented, monitored and reviewed by all the agencies concerned in the entire NCR to ensure that the AQI levels do not slip further,” the commission said.
The measures have been invoked for the first time this season. They focus on controlling road and construction dust, checking vehicle emissions, preventing waste burning and enforcing industrial emission standards.
_.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max&format=webp&w=260&dpr=1.0)
Why Stage I Has Been Invoked
GRAP links pollution-control measures to air quality levels. Stage I applies when the AQI is between 201 and 300, classified as ‘poor’.
“The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi which was observed at 179 ('Moderate' Category) on 20.10.2026, has exhibited a sharp rise with AQI of 244 at 02:00 PM on 21.10.2026 ('Poor' Category). Further, the forecast by IMD/IITM has also predicted AQI to remain in 'Poor' category in the coming days,” CAQM said.
The commission directed implementing agencies to maintain strict vigilance and intensify measures under the GRAP schedule. It also urged citizens to follow the Stage I citizen charter.
Higher stages bring additional curbs: Stage II applies to AQI levels of 301–400, Stage III to 401–450 and Stage IV to readings above 450.
Dust Control And Vehicle Checks To Intensify
Stage I measures include periodic mechanised sweeping, water sprinkling on roads and dust-control measures at construction and demolition sites.
Agencies must also strengthen waste management, prevent open burning, check polluting vehicles and improve traffic management. Enforcement extends to emission controls at industries, power plants and brick kilns.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the government was pursuing an 11-point action plan alongside the Centre, with attention to dust, vehicle emissions, electric vehicles and local pollution sources.
He claimed GRAP had been introduced later this season than in previous years.
Sirsa Announces Additional Traffic And Office Measures
Outlining the Delhi government’s measures, Sirsa said vehicles without valid Pollution Under Control certificates would not be supplied fuel. Parking charges would be doubled across the city, except at Metro parking facilities, he said.
Staggered working hours and work-from-home arrangements would also be introduced in Municipal Corporation of Delhi and government offices to reduce traffic, the minister added.
“Outdoor construction and demolition activities will face restrictions. Open burning is also strictly prohibited,” Sirsa said.
He said 608 anti-smog guns and 1,150 mist-spray units had been deployed to tackle dust. An Integrated Command and Control Centre was monitoring construction-related pollution, while an AI-based traffic management system was being used to reduce vehicular emissions.
Delhi Records Minimum Temperature Of 18 Degrees
Safdarjung, the capital’s main weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 18 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, according to the India Meteorological Department. The maximum was forecast to reach around 31 degrees Celsius.
Delhi’s AQI stood at 233 at 9 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board, before rising to 244 by 2 pm. Both readings fall within the ‘poor’ category.
