Delhi-NCR Stage 3 GRAP Restrictions Lifted

The Commission for Air Quality Management lifted Stage 3 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan in the Delhi-National Capital Region on Wednesday, easing measures such as mandatory 50 percent work-from-home policies in offices and hybrid learning in schools, as air quality showed signs of improvement.

The decision, announced via an official statement, came after the region's Air Quality Index reached 327, categorized as very poor but an improvement from the severe levels that prompted the restrictions' imposition on November 11. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa confirmed the change, stating on social media that the 50 percent work-from-home arrangement in offices has ended and hybrid school modes have been discontinued. "From now on, all arrangements will operate strictly according to the GRAP 2 rules," Sirsa said.

Under the updated plan, endorsed by the Supreme Court earlier in the week, restrictions have been recalibrated to activate earlier and more aggressively at lower pollution thresholds, aiming to curb the wintertime slide into hazardous air. Stage 3 measures, previously triggered at higher levels, now align with an AQI range of 301 to 400,...