Скачать или смотреть GRAP-IV Explained | Why is Delhi Under Emergency Air Pollution Measures Again?

Delhi is once again choking. Air quality has deteriorated rapidly, emergency restrictions are back in force, and daily life across the city has been disrupted. Construction has stopped, offices are operating with limited staff, and schools are switching modes. Delhi and the National Capital Region are now under GRAP-IV, the strictest stage of India’s air-pollution response framework.

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GRAP, or the Graded Response Action Plan, is a legally mandated framework which was approved by the Supreme Court in 2016. It links pollution-control measures directly to the Air Quality Index, or AQI. As pollution rises, restrictions automatically tighten. The plan is implemented by the Commission for Air Quality Management, or CAQM, across Delhi-NCR.
There are four stages under GRAP, each defined by AQI thresholds.
GRAP-I applies when AQI is between 201 and 300.
GRAP-II is triggered when AQI rises to between 301 and 400.
GRAP-III comes into force when AQI reaches 401 to 450.
GRAP-IV, the final stage, is invoked when AQI crosses 450, placing air quality in the severe-plus category.
On December 13, Delhi’s average AQI crossed 430 by late afternoon and continued to rise through the evening, according to CPCB data. With pollution trending upward and meteorological conditions turning unfavourable, the CAQM held an emergency meeting and invoked GRAP-IV across the entire NCR.
Under GRAP-IV, entry of BS-IV diesel trucks into Delhi is banned except for essential services. All construction and demolition activities are halted. Classes for Class VI to IX and Class XI shift to hybrid mode. Public, municipal, and private offices operate at 50 percent capacity, with the remaining staff working from home.
GRAP-IV signals an air-quality emergency. It is a response to immediate risk, not a long-term solution. And once again, it underlines a hard reality: Delhi’s air pollution returns every winter, and emergency measures are used to manage the crisis rather than prevent it.
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