Delhi AQI: Minor relief but air still toxic to breathe in smog-choked city, GRAP 3 on hold

DElhi’s send lineament showed a cold-shoulder melioration on mon morning after hitting a season’s high of 391 - ‘very poor’ category - the previous day. Despite the marginal improvement, the air remained toxic to breathe.Delhiites woke up to a thick blanket of smog as temperatures dropped to 11.6 degrees Celsius. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city’s overall AQI stood at 346 at 6:05 am on Monday, in the “very poor” category.Most monitoring stations in Delhi recorded pollution levels in the “severe” to “very poor” range. Bawana had the highest AQI at 412, Wazirpur at 397, Jahangirpuri at 394, and Nehru Nagar at 386, according to CPCB’s Sameer app data at 6 am on Monday.In the National Capital Region (NCR), Noida reported an AQI of 335, Ghaziabad 302, and Greater Noida 314, all falling in the “very poor” category.Experts said the slight improvement was due to rising wind speeds and a marginal reduction in stubble burning.GRAP Stage 3 restrictions held backThe Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) sub-committee on the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) met Sunday evening to review the situation after the daily average AQI remained at the higher end of the “very poor” range.Forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) indicate that the air quality is likely to remain in the same category in the coming days.However, considering the improving trend and forecasts, the sub-committee decided that Stage 3 restrictions of GRAP are not necessary at present. Measures under Stages 1 and 2 will continue in the National Capital Region.Under GRAP Stage 3, non-essential construction work is banned. Classes up to grade V shift to hybrid mode, with online education as an option. BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars are restricted in Delhi and nearby NCR districts, although persons with disabilities are exempt.Protests and warnings continueMeanwhile, Delhi Police detained people protesting at India Gate on Sunday, demanding that the government take stronger action to curb air pollution in the capital.During the demonstration, protesters, including college students and working professionals, said the government’s “lack of political will to find an effective solution to rising air pollution level” had led to a health crisis in the capital. They held placards highlighting the “air emergency” and demanding “clean air for children.”The Air Quality Early Warning System has predicted that Delhi’s air quality will continue to remain in the “very poor” category over the next few days.Since Diwali, Delhi’s air quality has consistently stayed in the “poor” or “very poor” range, occasionally slipping into the “severe” zone.