New Delhi: Two days after its implementation, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) lifted Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) as Delhi’s air quality continued to improve. However, dense fog in several parts of the city caused visibility issues early on Friday, delaying several flights.
The CAQM had already revoked Stage-IV of GRAP on Thursday following rain-induced improvements in air quality but retained Stage-III as a precaution. With the Air Quality Index (AQI) dropping to 289 (poor) from 302 (very poor) the previous day, the commission decided to remove Stage-III restrictions.
“Considering the disruptive nature of Stage-III restrictions impacting numerous stakeholders and the public, coupled with improving AQI trends and forecasts by IMD and IITM, which predict air quality to remain at the lower end of the very poor category, the CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP unanimously decided to revoke Stage-III restrictions with immediate effect,” stated the CAQM order.
However, restrictions under Stages I and II remain in place. The CAQM emphasized that construction and demolition sites that were specifically ordered to shut down due to violations must not resume operations without explicit permission from the commission.
Fog Disrupts Visibility
On Friday, dense fog blanketed Delhi, with some areas reporting zero visibility. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded severe conditions at Palam, where visibility dropped to zero between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM, improving to 100 meters by 8:30 AM. At Safdarjung, visibility reached a minimum of 200 meters during the early hours before improving.
Despite the fog, no flights were canceled or diverted, though several experienced delays, according to an airport official.
IMD has issued a yellow alert for Saturday, predicting dense to very dense fog, while moderate to dense fog is expected on Sunday.
Dip in Temperature
The city also experienced a decline in temperature, with Safdarjung recording a minimum of 8.8°C, 1.2 degrees below normal, compared to 10.3°C the previous day. The maximum temperature dropped to 18°C, 1.6 degrees below normal.
With fresh snowfall in the northern hills, the IMD predicts further drops in Delhi’s temperatures. The minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to hover around 7°C and 19°C, respectively, in the coming days.
