Understanding GRAP!!

With air pollution remaining critically high and serious health since 2010 in India, especially in the capital city of New Delhi, the Supreme Court of India in 2015 mandated the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to draw up an urgent and comprehensive action plan to tackle this problem. The action plan was mapped out by an expert committee and submitted to the Supreme Court in December 2016. After proper analysis and deliberation, it was accepted and rolled out, thus introducing the Graded Response Action Plan or GRAP to the city of Delhi and the National Capital Region. Implemented in January 2017 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, this plan aimed to ensure the “prevention, control, and abatement” of air pollution in Delhi-NCR. The central government set up the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to implement the program. This statutory body was tasked to work with other Indian states to develop and implement similar plans for a more considerable impact.

A graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was a set of stratified actions implemented in response to the pollution levels reaching certain specified limits. It was a set of emergency measures implemented incrementally in four stages depending on the Air Quality Index (AQI) severity. A particulate matter (PM) of 2.5 level in the air was deemed between 61 and 120 and considered ‘moderate to poor’ AQI; 121 to 250 as ‘very poor,’ 251 to 350 as ‘severe,’ and more than 350 as ‘severe plus.’

With the experience of its effectiveness and the areas of gaps that needed plugging, GRAP was revised in 2022 by CAQM as part of its new policy to improve air quality and abate air pollution in Delhi-NCR. In August 2022, GRAP was implemented from October 1st instead of mid-October, like in previous years. The remedial restrictions under the new GRAP were to be implemented depending upon the air quality anticipated by IITM and IMD three days in advance. The new measures focused on the proactive implementation of curbs based on forecasts. Restrictive measures like a ban on DG sets, vehicle rationing, closure of industries, and stalling of construction would be enforced only after the PM2.5 and PM10 concentration exceeded a specific limit. The revised policy worked on pre-emptive measures.

In its latest revised format, The Stage III GRAP for Delhi-NCR and neighboring areas constitute the following four stages-

Stage 1- “poor” AQI ranging between 201 and 300

Stage 2- “very poor” AQI of 301-400

Stage 3- “severe” AQI of 401-450

Stage 4- “severe plus” AQI more than 450.

 

Stage One of GRAP

· Implementing a ban on construction and demolition activities at specific sites.

· Solid waste to be lifted from dump sites, and no waste dumped on open land.

· Imposition of severe fine on openly burning municipal solid trash and biomass.

· Roads to be occasionally watered and mechanically cleaned.

· The ban on firecrackers as per the directions of respective courts.

· Thermal power plants must comply with emission norms.

Stage Two of GRAP

· Daily mechanized sweeping of roads.

· Sprinkling water using dust suppressants, at least on alternate days.

· Providing uninterrupted power supply to discontinue the use of generators.

Stage Three of GRAP

· Roads to be cleaned more frequently.

· Daily road watering to take place before the peak traffic hours.

· Promoting off-peak travel and imposing public transportation services fees.

· Construction activities prohibited except essential railroads and hospitals.

· Limits imposed on light motor vehicles using BS-III gasoline and BS-IV diesel.

Stage Four of GRAP

· Only trucks transporting daily necessities are allowed in Delhi.

· Only diesel-powered four-wheel LMVs are needed for emergencies to be allowed.

· All construction and demolition activities are to be stopped.

· As needed, close schools, prohibit non-emergency commercial activity

· Implement road driving on the odd-even schedule.

With the task being mammoth and requiring public cooperation for success, CAQM additionally urged citizens to cooperate in adherence to the Citizen Charter and assist in effectively implementing the GRAP measures to improve the overall air quality in the region. The long-term viability of the revised GRAP could be realized only by the combined efforts of the citizens and government agencies. With pollution levels at life-threatening and catastrophic levels, every citizen must work on a war footing to get the air quality to safe levels and maintain that standard throughout the year.