The Centre on Saturday lifted some restrictions in Delhi, including a ban on essential construction and demolition activities and the entry of polluting trucks, following an improvement in air quality.
However, several other prohibitions, such as the one on plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel light motor vehicles, will remain in force.
The order coincides with the end of an early winter vacation for schools, from November 9 to 18, declared by the Directorate of Education (DoE) following a spike in pollution levels.
The DoE on Saturday said classes from preschool to Class 12 will reopen on Monday, adding that morning assemblies and outdoor activities will not be permitted till further notice. Several higher education institutions, including Delhi University, are also scheduled to reopen on Monday.
The decision to lift the restrictions was taken in a meeting of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the NCR and adjoining areas, on Saturday.
Officials said the commission reviewed the current air quality scenario and took into account the likely meteorological conditions in Delhi-NCR over the coming days.
“The quality of air has shown improvement since late evening on Friday. The forecast does not indicate any steep degradation in the overall air quality of Delhi-NCR in the coming days,” the commission said.
The CAQM, which is responsible for implementing the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), said measures under Stages 1-3 of the plan, including restrictions on non-essential construction and demolition activities, use of diesel-powered generators, and biomass (stubble) burning, will continue to be in place. However, CNG, electric, and BS-IV-compliant vehicles from other States, as well as heavy goods vehicles, will be allowed to enter the city.
According to the Delhi government’s real-time source apportionment study data, vehicular emissions accounted for about 45% of the Capital’s air pollution on Friday and nearly 33% on Saturday.
It also found that secondary aerosols — particles such as sulfate and nitrate that are formed in the atmosphere due to the interaction of gases and particulate pollutants from sources like power plants, refineries, and vehicles — are the second major contributor to the city’s air pollution, accounting for 19-36% of pollution over the past few days.
