Grap-4 withdrawn as winds save city again

Just hours after strong overnight winds pushed air quality in the Capital to “poor” on Wednesday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) lifted stage 4 Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) restrictions despite forecasts showing it was expected to worsen day later.

- Aheli Das

However, all restrictions from Grap-l, 2and 3 curbs will remain in place.

Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index (AQN) was 271 at 4 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) national bulletin. It was in the “severe” category at the same time a day earlier, registering at 412. In the evening on Wednesday, the CAQM issued orders rolling back Grap-4 curbs in view of, whatit said was, the “disruptive nature of restrictions”, the air quality improvement, and forecasts for the coming days,

The decision to roll back Grap-4 curbs comes ahead of what is historically, driven by low temperatures, fog and local sources, the second peak of Delhi’s annual winter pollution crisis during the holiday period at the end of the year, typically the last week of December.

This appeared to be borne out by forecasts. On Wednesday, the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi said AQI is likely to be back in “very poor” from Thursday to Saturday. “The outlook for the subsequent six days is that the air quality is likely to be ‘very poor,” it added.