New Delhi, November 23: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has issued new changes to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to control Delhi-NCR’s rising air pollution. The new rules take effect immediately.
The decision came after strong directions from the Supreme Court and a detailed meeting with officials from Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
What Has Changed?
CAQM has now moved many pollution-control measures to earlier stages of GRAP.
This means the government will act faster, even when pollution levels only begin to rise, not when they become severe.
Stage I (Early Warning Stage): What Will Happen First
Under the first stage, the focus is on preventing pollution from getting worse. The government will:
- Make sure there is uninterrupted electricity so people do not use diesel generators.
- Improve traffic flow to reduce long jams.
- Run public awareness messages on TV, radio and newspapers.
- Add more CNG and electric buses, and increase metro frequency to reduce private vehicle use.
Stage II: Staggered Office Timings
If air quality continues to drop:
- Government and municipal offices in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad and nearby areas will have staggered office timings.
- The Central Government may also announce staggered timings for its staff working in NCR.
Stage III: Work-From-Home Option
At this stage, when pollution becomes very poor:
- Government and private offices can allow 50% of their employees to work from home.
- The Central Government will also consider work-from-home for its staff in NCR.
Why Are These Early Changes Important?
Every winter, Delhi’s air quality becomes hazardous due to vehicle emissions, dust, stubble burning and slow wind speed.
The Supreme Court has repeatedly said that authorities must take early, preventive steps to stop pollution from reaching emergency levels.
By shifting key actions to lower GRAP stages, CAQM hopes to avoid the situation where the city crosses “severe” or “severe-plus” air quality. This restructuring means restrictions kick in at lower AQI levels – for example, work-from-home provisions now activate at ‘Very Poor’ (301-400 AQI) instead of waiting for ‘Severe+’ (450+ AQI).
GRAP Already Active in Delhi-NCR
CAQM also confirmed that GRAP was already in force this season:
- Stage I: Started on 14 October 2025
- Stage II: Started on 19 October 2025
- Stage III: Started on 11 November 2025
The new rules will now be followed under these stages.
What Happens Now?
All departments and local bodies in Delhi-NCR must start following the updated GRAP rules immediately.
If air quality worsens further, even stricter measures may be introduced.
Also Read | Supreme Court Clears Stricter GRAP Rules for Delhi-NCR; Pollution Curbs to Trigger Earlier Across All Stages
