GRAP 3 curbs enforced in Delhi-NCR as air quality turns very poor

In view of deteriorating air quality in the national capital, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked stage three of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the entire NCR with immediate effect. The decision was taken after the Air Quality Index in the city recorded at 354 today, which falls into the very poor category.   The restrictions include a complete ban on all construction and demolition activities, including earthwork, piling, trenching, and Road construction activities and major repairs. BS-4 diesel-operated Light Commercial Vehicles registered outside Delhi are also not allowed to enter the national capital, except those carrying essential commodities or providing essential services. The CAQM has also shared 9 point action plan to be implemented and ensured by different agencies, including the Pollution Control Boards of NCR and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee. Under CPCB norms, an AQI between 401 and 500 is classified as ‘severe’, posing serious health risks and warranting emergency control measures. Delhi-NCR witnessing dense fog since Saturday morning.

#GRAPIII reimposed in Delhi-NCR as air quality turns Very Poor, pic.twitter.com/yqGTrGbcZ5

— newsinc24 (@newsinc24) January 17, 2026

Poor air quality was not limited to Delhi alone. Several parts of Uttar Pradesh also woke up to dense smog on Saturday. Noida Sector 125 and Sector 116 reported ‘severe’ air with AQI readings of 448 each. Lucknow fared slightly better with an AQI of 242 (‘poor’), while Kanpur and Prayagraj recorded ‘moderate’ levels and Moradabad remained in the ‘poor’ category. Thick fog and smog reduced visibility in cities such as Bulandshahr, Ayodhya and Mainpuri, where residents were seen lighting bonfires to cope with the cold and haze.