CAQM Notifies Stricter, Revised GRAP for Delhi-NCR, Shifting Curbs to Earlier AQI Stages

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has notified a revised and significantly more stringent Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for the Delhi-NCR region to proactively combat the worsening air quality with the onset of winter; the updated plan, effective November 21, 2025, shifts some of the strictest measures—including certain vehicle restrictions, construction bans, and work-from-home advisories—to be invoked at earlier stages (lower Air Quality Index/AQI levels) than previously mandated, aiming to prevent the air from ever slipping into the “Severe” and “Emergency” categories.

Key Changes in the Revised GRAP (Proposed Shifts):

 

The primary change in the revised GRAP is the preponement of restrictive measures, meaning actions previously reserved for high-pollution stages will now be triggered sooner:

Previous Stage for Curbs	New (Revised) Stage for Curbs	Example of Affected Measure
Stage III (Severe)	Stage II (Very Poor)	Staggered timings for public offices and civic bodies in Delhi-NCR (originally Stage III measure, now proposed for Stage II).
Stage IV (Severe+)	Stage III (Severe)	Mandatory 50% work-from-home for employees in government, municipal, and private offices in Delhi-NCR (originally Stage IV measure, now proposed for Stage III).
Stage II (Very Poor)	Stage I (Poor)	Mandatory uninterrupted power supply to discourage the use of polluting power-generating sets (originally a Stage II measure, now proposed for Stage I)

Current Enforcement Status:

• As of November 2025: Stage-III of the extant GRAP is in force across the entire NCR (AQI is currently hovering in the ‘Severe’ category, above 401).

Stage III Restrictions Currently in Force:

• Construction: Ban on most non-essential Construction and Demolition (C&D) activities.

• Vehicular Traffic: Restrictions on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers.

• Industrial: Curbs on industrial operations dependent on non-clean fuel.

• Education: Suspension of in-person classes for students up to Class 5 (with a shift to online or hybrid learning).