New Delhi, December 5
The Air Quality Commission today canceled the anti-pollution measures under Phase 3 and 4 of the Centre’s Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for Delhi-NCR. This information is given in an official order.
Restrictions have been restricted to Group-II which includes restrictions such as restrictions on the use of coal and wood in industries and commercial establishments. Earlier, the Supreme Court allowed the Commission for Quality Management (CAQM) to reduce the restrictions imposed under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-4 to tackle air pollution in the national capital and limit it to the second phase. This was done in view of improvement in Air Quality Index (AQI). Under Phase 3 and 4 of GRAP, entry of trucks carrying non-essential goods is prohibited unless they run on CNG, LNG or BS-VI diesel.
Earlier during the hearing, a bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih advised the CAQM to additionally include some of the criteria of GRAP-III in the second phase sanctions. The apex court observed that the AQI level did not cross 300 in the last four days in NCR.
Notably, an AQI level of zero to 50 is ‘excellent’, 51 to 100 is ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 is ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 is ‘poor’, 301 to 400 is ‘fairly bad’ while 401 to 500 is an AQI level. Considered in the ‘severe’ category. -News-Patiala