Delhi Govt Lifts GRAP-IV Restrictions Despite Very Poor AQI

New Delhi: The Delhi government on Wednesday lifted Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) despite air quality in the national capital remaining in the “very poor” category.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said the revocation was ordered following an “improvement” in the Air Quality Index (AQI). However, several parts of Delhi continue to record very poor air quality, with Nehru Nagar logging an AQI of 392 and Anand Vihar recording an AQI of 362 on Wednesday morning. 

GRAP Stage I, II & III Remains In Effect

Restrictions under Stage-I, II and III of the GRAP continues to remain implemented to ensure that the AQI levels do not slip further to the ‘severe’ category, the CAQM said.

CAQM's Sub-Committee on GRAP held a meeting on Wednesday evening to review the air quality scenario in the region and the IMD forecasts. It observed, “AQI of Delhi has shown significant improvement since yesterday night owing to high winds and favorable meteorological conditions and has been recorded as 271 ('poor' category) on 24.12.2025.” Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "After a lot of days, today the air feels a bit clear and fresh."

While the AQI slightly improved to ‘poor’ category late on Wednesday evening, data from Anand Vihar at 4:00 pm showed that the region continued to grapple with ‘very poor’ AQI of 301.

What Were The Restrictions Under GRAP-IV?

The GRAP-IV restrictions, which had been implemented in Delhi-NCR on December 13, restricted the entry of trucks carrying non-essential commodities into the national capital. ‘Hybrid’ mode of teaching were mandated for students up to Class 5. The GRAP-IV rules also recommended public, municipal and private offices to allow 50% employees to work from office, while others could work from home.

The government had also advised children, elderly and those with respiratory, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular or other chronic diseases to avoid outdoor activities and stay indoors, as much as possible.

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