NEW DELHI: With Delhi’s air quality slipping into the ‘severe’ category, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has enforced Stage III restrictions of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region, bringing wide-ranging curbs on construction, vehicles and industrial operations.What’s banned:
- Non-essential construction and demolition: earthwork, piling, open trenching, welding, painting, plastering, tile/flooring work, RMC plants.
- Transportation of construction materials like cement, sand, and fly-ash on unpaved roads.
- Stone crushers, brick kilns, and mining activities.
- BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers; non-essential diesel-powered medium goods vehicles; inter-state diesel buses not running on CNG, electricity, or BS-VI standards.
- Industries using unapproved fuels.
What’s allowed / exempted:
- Essential infrastructure and public service projects: metro, railway, airport, highway, defence, healthcare, sanitation projects.
- Construction work for critical projects with strict dust control and waste management.
- Persons with disabilities using exempted vehicles.
- Use of public transport and hybrid/online school classes up to Grade 5.
Under GRAP-III, all non-essential construction and demolition activities are prohibited, including earthwork, piling, open trenching, welding, painting, plastering, tile or flooring work, and operation of Ready-Mix Concrete (RMC) plants. Transportation of materials like cement, sand and fly ash has also been restricted, while industries using unapproved fuels have been directed to suspend operations. Stone crushers and mining activities have been ordered shut until further notice. The use of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers has been banned in Delhi and neighbouring NCR districts such as Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar, though persons with disabilities are exempt. Non-essential diesel-powered medium goods vehicles and inter-state diesel buses not running on CNG, electricity or BS-VI standards are also barred from entering the capital. Authorities have urged residents to avoid open burning of waste, use public transport, and ensure vehicles have valid PUC certificates to avoid hefty fines.
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