Delhi-NCR activates GRAP Stage 1 curbs as air quality index hits 244

The Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan across Delhi-NCR on 21 October after the air quality index reached 244, placing the region firmly in the poor category. The measures, the first of the season, target three principal sources of pollution: dust, vehicle emissions and the burning of waste.

Under Stage 1 restrictions, schools across Delhi and the wider NCR region remain fully open and operational, and offices continue to function as normal with no work-from-home orders in effect. The curbs are designed to reduce pollution at source rather than to impose sweeping closures on daily life.

Some relief emerged days later when the AQI dropped to 185 at nine o'clock on the morning of 24 October, pushing the reading back into the moderate category. The improvement followed three consecutive days of poor air quality, with a 24-hour average of 230 recorded at four o'clock on the afternoon of 23 October, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.

The episode coincided with the reappearance of toxic foam on the Yamuna river, a recurring phenomenon linked to deteriorating environmental conditions in the region. Authorities have urged residents to avoid open burning and unnecessary vehicle use as pollution levels remain volatile heading into the winter months.