DNA Explainer: What is GRAP and how it can stop Delhi from turning into a 'gas chamber' this year?

With the air quality in Delhi dropping considerably in the last 48 hours, authorities in the National Capital Region have been asked to strictly implement measures under the first stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

"While this is likely to be a localised influence and the forecasts do not predict any further deterioration, in an effort to maintain the AQI in the moderate category, as a precautionary measure, the sub-committee decided that all actions as envisaged under Stage I of the GRAP - 'Poor' air quality be implemented in right earnest by all the agencies concerned, with immediate effect in the NCR," the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said in an order.

Meanwhile, a month-long anti-dust campaign to check compliance of pollution norms at construction sites was launched in Delhi on Thursday and 586 teams have been formed for their enforcement, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said.

What is Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)?

GRAP is a set of emergency measures that is brought into action by the authorities to prevent further deterioration of air quality once it reaches a certain threshold. 

Stage 1 of GRAP is activated when the AQI is in the ‘poor’ category (201 to 300), and On Wednesday, for instance, the AQI in Delhi was 211. 

The AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, 401 and 450 ‘severe’ and 451-500 “severe+”. 

The second, third and fourth stages of GRAP will be activated when the AQI dip further to very poor, severe and severe+ categories. The measures include banning construction activities and entry of trucks into Delhi.

How is this year’s GRAP different?

The GRAP was first notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in January 2017. This was based on a plan submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in November 2016. The GRAP, which was earlier implemented by the now dissolved Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, has been implemented by the CAQM since 2021. 

The CAQM revised the Graded Response Action Plan earlier this year. This time, measures are pre-emptive and will kick in based on forecasts in an attempt to prevent the AQI from deteriorating further. The older version of the GRAP was enforced based only on the concentration of PM2.5 and PM10. This year, GRAP is being enforced based on the AQI, which takes other pollutants also into account, such as ozone, sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen.

New measures to be enforced this year

According to The Indian Express, the revised GRAP allows state governments in the NCR to impose restrictions on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four wheelers under Stage-3, or when the AQI is likely to reach the ‘severe’ category. 

Under the ‘severe +’ category, four-wheelers in Delhi-NCR except for BS-VI vehicles and those plying for emergency or essential services will be banned and also diesel-operated medium and heavy goods vehicles in Delhi, except those carrying essential commodities or providing essential services. 

Construction activities (except for those involving railways, projects of national security, hospitals, metro services, and linear public projects like highways, roads) will be banned under the “severe” category.

Other measures being considered

According to The Indian Express, measures like closure of schools and odd-even rule for vehicles, work from home provision for 50% strength of public, municipal and private offices may be considered by the state governments under the ‘severe+’ category.