Delhi NCR Revokes All GRAP Restrictions on Air Quality Improvement

New Delhi, March 16 - The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjudicating Areas revoked all restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan on Monday, following a marked improvement in air quality across Delhi and surrounding districts.

The decision came after Delhi's Air Quality Index reached 119 in the moderate category by late afternoon, officials with the commission stated. Favorable meteorological conditions contributed to the shift, and forecasts from the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology predict the index will stay in the moderate range over the coming days. The Graded Response Action Plan, an emergency framework coordinated across multiple agencies in the region, activates measures based on average air quality levels and weather projections to address worsening pollution.

With the revocation effective immediately, Stage 1 restrictions that had been in place since an order on October 14, 2025, are no longer enforced. These included bans on using coal and firewood in tandoors at hotels, restaurants, and open-air eateries, as well as limits on diesel generators to emergency or essential...