Graded Response Action Plan
Context: The Delhi government has implemented Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-III) as the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) breached 400, entering the ‘severe’ category for the first time this season.
About GRAP
What it is?
- The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is a dynamic pollution control framework designed to combat deteriorating air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) through stage-wise preventive and corrective actions based on AQI levels.
Organisation Involved: Implemented by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in coordination with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Government, and state pollution control boards of NCR states.
Established in: 2017, following the directions of the Supreme Court of India, based on recommendations by (EPCA).
Aim:
- To reduce air pollution in Delhi-NCR through timely, coordinated, and graded interventions, thereby safeguarding public health and ensuring compliance with the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) objectives.
Key Features:
- Four-stage response system linked to air quality levels:
- Stage I: Poor (201–300)
- Stage II: Very Poor (301–400)
- Stage III: Severe (401–450)
- Stage IV: Severe+ (>450)
- Progressive and cumulative restrictions — each stage includes measures from previous stages.
- Actions include: bans on construction, demolition, and BS-III petrol/BS-IV diesel vehicles, closure of schools (up to Class 5), and promotion of work-from-home.
- Essential services like metro, railways, sanitation, defence, and healthcare are exempt but must adhere to dust and emission control norms.
- Real-time monitoring via CPCB and IMD/ IITM forecasts helps invoke stages in advance.
How it Works?
- The CAQM Sub-Committee reviews daily AQI data and forecasts to decide when to activate or relax stages.
- When higher AQI levels are expected to persist for three or more days, the next GRAP stage is invoked proactively.