Centre revokes IV GRAP as air quality improves, Delhi schools to reopen on Wednesday

New Delhi: As the overall air quality of the Delhi-NCR in the past few days improved the government has revoked the Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

GRAP was invoked on thursday after the air quality reached in “severe” category with AQI crossed 450 mark at various places in the national capital.

The GRAP is an emergency response action plan invoked with a view to arrest further deterioration of adverse air quality scenario in NCR.

Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas (CAQM) held a meeting to review the situation and said due to forecast there is no indication of any steep degradation in the overall air quality of Delhi-NCR in the coming days, it is advisable to relax the restrictions and further roll back Stage IV of GRAP with immediate effect in the entire NCR.

The GRAP Sub-Committee in its earlier meetings had invoked actions under Stage I, Stage II, Stage III and Stage IV of the GRAP on 05, 19, 29 0ctober and 03 November respectively.

As the present AQI level of Delhi is around 340 which is about 110 AQI points below the threshold for invoking the GRAP Stage-IV actions.

Menwhile, the primary schools in national capital, Delhi will be reopened on Wednesday, November 9. The decision was taken in a high-level meeting chaired by the Environment Minister Gopal Rai.

“Primary schools in Delhi were closed and open activities of classes senior to them were stopped. From 9th Nov, primary schools will open, and the ban on open activities is being lifted,” said Environment Minister Gopal Rai.

The AAP government earlier on Friday announced the closure of primary schools and work from home for 50 per cent of its staff as the pollution levels in Delhi reached to severe category.

As the air pollution in Delhi-NCR ameliorated over the last two days, the Centre’s air quality panel Sunday directed authorities to lift the ban on plying of non-BS VI diesel light motor vehicles in the region and the entry of trucks into the capital.

The 24-hour average air quality index of Delhi improved from 381 on Saturday 339 on Sunday and further on monday 349 , primarily due to favourable wind speed and a drop in the contribution of stubble burning.