Gurgaon: Owing to the deterioration in air quality index (AQI) in the city, Commission for Air Quality Management (

CAQM

) on Monday imposed

Graded Response Action Plan

(GRAP) Stage-I curbs.
City's AQI deteriorated slightly on Monday — 194 as compared to 142 on Sunday — but stayed in the ‘moderate' category.
Meanwhile, Delhi's air quality turned poor, with an average AQI of 206 against moderate 194 a day earlier.
The 27-point action plan under Stage-I of GRAP is now in effect across the entire NCR. These measures aim to improve air quality and environmental management in the NCR. This comes after a sub-committee for invoking actions under the GRAP of CAQM in NCR and adjoining areas met on Monday.

"As per the unanimous decision of the sub-committee on GRAP, all 27 actions — as envisaged under Stage-I of GRAP (following Delhi's ‘poor' air quality, which speaks to AQI between 201 and 300) — are to be implemented in right earnest by all the agencies concerned in NCR, with immediate effect. Various agencies responsible for implementing measures under GRAP, including pollution control boards (PCBs) of NCR states and

Delhi Pollution Control Committee

(DPCC), have been asked to ensure strict implementation of actions of Stage-I under GRAP during this period," the CAQM said.
This plan involves various agencies — including the pollution control boards of NCR states and DPCC — to implement and ensure the following steps: Properly implement directions, rules and guidelines on dust mitigation measures in construction and demolition (C&D) activities and manage C&D waste environmentally; strictly comply with direction nos. 11-18 dated June 11, 2021; do not permit C&D activities for projects with plot sizes of 500 sqm or more unless they are registered on the respective state/GNCTD web portal and meet other statutory requirements for remote monitoring of dust mitigation measures; regularly lift municipal solid waste (MSW), C&D waste and hazardous wastes from dedicated dump sites, ensuring no illegal dumping in open areas; conduct periodic mechanised sweeping and water sprinkling on roads; ensure scientific disposal of collected dust at designated sites/landfills; properly store and cover C&D materials and waste within premises; and transport C&D materials and waste only in covered vehicles.
Earlier, it was imposed on March 7 when Delhi's air quality index turned poor at 202, and revoked on March 15 when AQI improved to 85 in the satisfactory zone.
Meanwhile, the city saw a dry and warm day as the mercury is expected to rise further. According to IMD, the maximum temperature may reach 36 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. On Monday, the maximum temperature was recorded at 35 degrees Celsius, which was the highest maximum so far. This was 4.7 notches higher than normal and 1.3 notches higher than the previous day. Meanwhile, the minimum temperature of Gurgaon was at 14.8, which was 0.4 notches lower than normal and 0.9 notches lower than the previous day.
Delhi experienced a dry and warm day as the mercury spiked further, recording the maximum at 36 degrees Celsius, 4.5 notches above normal, against 34.5 degrees on Sunday. According to the weather department, the maximum temperature may reach 39 degrees Celsius by Wednesday.