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‘severe’ category, officials said on Friday.
According to a Delhi government official, the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage 3 has been implemented in the national capital with a complete ban on construction or demolition activities.
The Centre’s pollution control panel invoked the GRAP III on Thursday, directing a halt on non-essential construction work, stone crushing and mining in Delhi-NCR. Under this stage, restrictions are also imposed on the operation of BS III petrol and BS IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena held a meeting with Environment Minister Gopal Rai amid severe air pollution in the city on Friday, in which a decision was taken to appeal neighbouring states, particularly Punjab, to check paddy stubble burning.
The meeting also decided to adopt interim measures such as issuing advisories by the Environment department asking people, especially children and the elderly, to take extra care and remain indoors as far as possible, preparedness by the Health department and optimal use of mechanised road sweepers, water sprinklers and anti-smog guns.
The meeting chaired by the LG could not be attended by the chief minister who was out of Delhi, according to a Raj Niwas statement. After the meeting, Rai told reporters that he urged the LG for issuing directions to senior officers to not “boycott” the government and attend meetings and remain cooperative and active for implementation of the decisions on the ground.
