PVT CONSTRUCTIONS IN NCR CAN RESUME AS POLLUTION BODY EASES CURBS UNDER GRAP’S THIRD STAGE

NEW DELHI: Private constructions across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) can resume from Tuesday, as the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Monday retracted measures imposed under Stage 3 of it’s pollutioncontrol plan, citing the relatively improved air quality in the city over the few days.

Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) improved to “poor” on Monday, with a reading of 294 at 4pm, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

CAQM, in its order withdrawing checks under Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap), said the city’s AQI improved from 346 (“very poor”) on November 11 to 294 (“poor”) on Monday.

“This is about 100 AQI points below the threshold for invoking the Grap Stage 3 actions (Delhi AQI 400-450),” according to the CAQM order issued on Monday.

Other measures being lifted include allowing stone crushers to resume operations, brick kilns and hot mix plants not running on the approved fuels list to function again and mining and its associated activities are also now allowed across NCR, CAQM said.

The share of stubble burning also dropped in the last 24 hours, with the wind direction switching from northwesterly and alternating , officials said. Agencies forecast that Delhi’s air will now remain “poor” category till at least Thursday, with strong surface winds expected to continue in the region.

The CPCB classifies an AQI between 201 and 300 as “poor”, and 301 and 400 as “very poor” and over 400 as ‘severe’.