Delhi Returns to Severe Air Quality: Restrictions Imposed Again

New Delhi: The battle against Delhi’s worsening air quality has intensified as the city grapples with severe pollution levels once more. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has taken decisive action by reinstating Stage 3 measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap).

What does this mean for the city and its residents? Certain vehicles, particularly older private cars, are barred from the roads – a move affecting nearly 387,000 vehicles. Additionally, private construction activities across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) have been halted.

Why the sudden restrictions? Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) hit a severe mark of 409, primarily due to unfavourable meteorological conditions, including weak winds trapping emissions from construction, vehicle exhausts, and other sources like bonfires and waste burning.

What’s next? Authorities predict the AQI might stay severe before possibly improving to ‘very poor’ on Sunday. The restrictions aim to curb pollution, but concerns linger about their effectiveness once pollution spikes occur.

These measures follow a pattern set earlier in November when similar actions were taken after the AQI surpassed the 400-mark. However, their impact on long-term air quality improvement remains uncertain. As Delhi grapples with this recurring challenge, the focus remains on battling pollution while grappling with meteorological factors influencing air quality. The journey toward cleaner air continues with heightened measures, yet the effectiveness against this persistent issue remains a topic of debate and concern.