The central government on Tuesday implemented stricter anti-pollution measures under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR after the capital’s air quality deteriorated to the ‘severe’ category.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said the decision followed a sharp increase in Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI), rising from 362 on Monday to 425 on Tuesday morning. The spike, it added, was caused by calm winds, stable atmospheric conditions, and unfavourable weather, which allowed pollutants to remain trapped near the ground.

Stage III of GRAP introduces a series of new restrictions on top of those already in place under Stages I and II, aiming to curb pollution sources and reduce the city’s toxic smog levels.

Key Restrictions Under Stage III

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