The Centre's air quality panel for Delhi-NCR has invoked GRAP III after a sharp rise in pollution levels. Under GRAP III, schools and colleges in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar will shift classes up to Class V to hybrid mode. Students and parents will have the option to choose online education wherever it is available. Delhi's AQI stood at 367 at 2 pm. Poor air quality, caused by unfavourable weather conditions, often persists from November to January.

"Considering the highly unfavourable meteorological conditions including calm winds and very low mixing height leading the AQI of Delhi into the higher end of the very poor category, the panel's sub-committee on Graded Response Action Plan decides to impose stage 3 of the revised GRAP schedule (issued on Friday) in the entire NCR, with immediate effect," an official order said.

Stage 3 entails a ban on non-essential diesel-operated medium goods vehicles with BS-IV or older standards within Delhi. Non-essential diesel light commercial vehicles of BS-IV or older standards, registered outside Delhi, are also not allowed to enter the city. Previously, such restrictions were applicable only to BS-III vehicles.

Source : DNA India