Grap-3 revoked amid 'better' air forecast; max temp hits 7-yr high

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region revoked stage-3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) on Thursday amid declining air quality index (AQI) in the city and forecast for “moderate” air quality on both Friday and Saturday.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

Meanwhile, the city was also unusually warm on Thursday, with the maximum temperature clocking 27.1°C - seven degrees above normal and the highest for Delhi in January in seven years. The last time it was higher was 28.7°C on January 21, 2019.

Environmental experts, however, questioned the timing of CAQM’s decision to ease restrictions, and called for the Grap implementation process to be automated to avoid any “rush”.

Delhi's 24-hour average AQI stood at 322 (very poor) at 4pm on Thursday, down from Wednesday's reading of 330 (very poor) at the same time, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also issued a “yellow” alert for Friday, forecasting light rain and gusty winds up to 40 km/hr as a western disturbance is likely to impact northwest India.