New Delhi, January 2, 2026, 08:07 ET
- India’s air quality regulator revoked GRAP Stage III curbs across Delhi-NCR after readings improved by Friday afternoon.
- Tougher limits on non-essential construction and certain older vehicles were among the measures rolled back.
- Earlier in the day, parts of Delhi still logged “very poor” air amid dense fog and smog.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Friday revoked Stage III restrictions under Delhi-NCR’s emergency pollution plan after air quality improved through the day, local media reported. Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) fell to 236 by 4 p.m. from 380 a day earlier, according to the order cited in a local report.
The rollback matters because Stage III is among the most disruptive steps in the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a playbook that tightens curbs as pollution worsens. When it is in force, it can halt large parts of the construction supply chain and restrict some vehicles.
The relief is partial. CAQM said actions under GRAP Stages I and II will continue, keeping a base layer of restrictions in place as Delhi heads deeper into its winter smog season, when pollution can spike quickly.
The AQI is a government scale that measures air pollution; higher numbers mean dirtier air. GRAP is the region’s graded set of rules that escalate from routine controls to emergency curbs as AQI thresholds are breached.
Under Stage III, authorities had banned most non-essential construction and demolition activity and curbed operations such as stone crushing, brick kilns and some mining-related work, the Times of India reported. Stage III restrictions also applied to older “Bharat Stage” (BS) vehicles — India’s vehicle emission norms — including limits on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in parts of the capital region, it said. (Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/aqi-significantly-improved-grap-iii-revoked-across-delhi-ncr-stage-i-ii-measures-remain-whats-allowed-and-whats-not/articleshow/126306054.cms)
Even during Stage III, several categories of work were exempt, including projects tied to essential infrastructure and public services such as metro rail, railways, airports, highways, defence, healthcare and sanitation, the report said.
Air conditions remained challenging earlier on Friday. Data cited in the Mint report showed Delhi’s overall AQI around 8 a.m. was 348 — “very poor” and close to the “severe” bracket — with several monitoring stations also reporting poor to very poor readings.
Dense fog added to the disruption. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Delhi saw very dense fog in the early hours and that conditions were expected to persist through the day, the Mint report said, while weather was likely to improve from Saturday.
Stage III curbs had been imposed in December as pollution worsened and weather conditions limited the dispersion of pollutants, according to local reporting. The decision to revoke them came after CAQM reviewed the latest trend in readings and kept lower-stage measures in place to prevent a rebound.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, speaking a day earlier about last year’s air-quality record, said policy steps had delivered results. “The record good AQI days in 2025 prove that science-led action works wonders,” Sirsa said. (Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/delhi-minister-sirsa-says-city-recorded-best-air-quality-in-eight-years-in-2025-science-led-action-works-wonders-11767284726931.html)
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