Delhi Environment Minister 💟Gopal Rai will chair a high-level meeting on Sunday to 🌠discuss measures to be implemented under stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan, officials said here.
A layer of pungent smog enveloped Delhi-NCR on Saturday as air pollu💃tion in the region neared the "severe" zone amid adverse meteorological conditions. This prompted the Centre's air quality panel to direct authorities in the National Capital Region to immediately implement curbs, such 𝔉as a ban on construction and demolition activities, under the Graded Response Action Plan stage III.
Delhi's 24-hour average air qu🍌ality index stood at 397 at 4 pm, the worst since January. It was 354 on Thursday, 271 on Wednesday, 302 on Tuesday and 312 on Monday (Diwali).
GRAP is a set of anti-air pollution measures follo☂wed in the capital and its vicinity according to the severi💫ty of the situation.
It classifies the air qu🍸ality in the Delhi-NCR under four different stages: Stage I - 'Poor' (AQI 201-300); Stage II - 'Very Poor' (AQI 301-400); Stage III - 'Severe' (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV - 'Severe Plus' (AQI >450).
The restrictions ꧙on construction and demol♏ition activities will not be applicable on essential projects concerning national security, defence, railways and metro rail among others. Mining activities will also not be allowed in the region.
The CAQM further said states might impose restrictions on the plying of BS III ♈petrol and BS IV diesel four-wheelers in the NCR considering the worsening air quality. This direction is non-binding on authorities.
The ban on construction activities is likely to affectꦡ housing projects in Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and other areasꦿ.
-With PTI Input
