For the second consecutive day, Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) surged beyond 350, nearing the ‘severe’ category as a dense haze blanketed the city on Sunday. At 4 pm, the AQI stood at 366, after peaking at 388 around 10 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Despite crossing the threshold set by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for triggering Stage-3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the stricter measures remained unimplemented. Stage-3 curbs include bans on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles in the Delhi-NCR, halting of major construction and demolition activities, and a shift to hybrid schooling for younger children.
Last year, the Supreme Court of India directed the CAQM to enforce Stage-3 when AQI surpasses 350, and Stage-4 when it exceeds 400. Yet officials say the CAQM reverted to older thresholds – triggering Stage-3 only when the AQI hit 400 and Stage-4 at 450 or higher.
Experts warn that failure to act when AQI breaches 350 undermines public health safeguards. “By the time it touches ‘severe’, residents have already endured prolonged exposure to high PM2.5 levels,” said Sunil Dahiya of Enviro-Catalysts.
The CPCB’s early-warning system projects that air quality will escalate into the ‘severe’ zone by Tuesday and may remain elevated through mid-week. With schools, traffic, and construction at risk of abrupt curbs, the delay in policy enforcement has raised concerns among residents and environmentalists alike.
