Delhi Imposes GRAP Stage 3 as AQI Reaches 382 Ahead of Diwali

The Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan across Delhi and the National Capital Region on November 6, 2026, after the city's average Air Quality Index reached 382.

The Central Pollution Control Board recorded the daily average at 382, placing it in the very poor category and near the severe threshold. Thirty of 59 monitoring stations in Delhi registered severe readings by 9 a.m. Stations including IIT Delhi and Rohini reached 474. Punjabi Bagh stood at 465, RK Puram at 443, ITO at 422, and India Gate at 403. PM2.5 concentrations had peaked near 280 micrograms per cubic meter in the preceding 30 to 45 hours, the highest pre-Diwali baseline since 2019.

Stage III measures include a ban on dust-generating construction and demolition activity across the NCR, with limited exceptions. BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel light motor vehicles are prohibited in Delhi and in Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddha Nagar. Classes up to grade 5 shift to hybrid mode in those districts. Private employers are advised to allow work-from-home or hybrid arrangements. Diesel generator sets are restricted except for emergency services. Stone crushers, mining operations, and hot-mix plants that do not use clean fuels must shut down.

The CAQM sub-committee cited unfavorable meteorological conditions that limited pollutant dispersion and forecasts from the India Meteorological Department and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology indicating further deterioration. The panel described the invocation as a precautionary step to prevent the AQI from entering the severe range in the days before Diwali. Stage I and Stage II measures were already in force.

Anti-smog vehicles continued spraying water on major roads. Enforcement teams monitored vehicle entry restrictions and pollution-under-control certificates. Public transport capacity was increased with additional Metro trips and buses. The measures apply immediately and remain in effect until the CAQM reviews conditions again.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said teams were checking compliance with vehicle and construction rules. Farm fires in Punjab and Haryana continued to contribute to the regional load, with satellite counts showing more than 200 fires on the preceding day. Wind speeds near the surface were low, trapping pollutants close to the ground overnight.

The AQI of 382 is the highest pre-Diwali reading in eight years. Previous Stage III invocations have typically followed sustained very poor or severe conditions. The current order covers the entire NCR rather than Delhi alone. No end date has been set; the sub-committee will reassess based on subsequent daily bulletins and forecasts.

Residents face restrictions on outdoor activity for sensitive groups and limits on non-essential vehicle use. The hybrid class arrangement applies through the immediate period of elevated pollution. The commission has not indicated whether Stage IV measures, which include further restrictions on private vehicles and industrial activity, will be considered if the AQI crosses 400.