Delhi-NCR's Graded Response Action Plan, usually shortened to GRAP, is an emergency framework that adds pollution-control measures as air quality deteriorates. It is not a single winter ban and it does not remain at the same level all season.
The Commission for Air Quality Management, or CAQM, can invoke and revoke stages after reviewing measured air quality and forecasts. Residents should therefore separate the permanent structure of GRAP from the stage that is actually active on a particular day.
The four GRAP stages
The framework groups Delhi's average Air Quality Index into four broad levels:
- Stage I — Poor: AQI 201–300.
- Stage II — Very Poor: AQI 301–400.
- Stage III — Severe: AQI 401–450.
- Stage IV — Severe Plus: AQI above 450.
Higher stages build on lower ones. When Stage III is invoked, measures from Stages I and II generally continue alongside the additional restrictions. CAQM may also adjust implementation based on forecasts and prevailing conditions.
What happens at Stage I?
Stage I focuses on enforcement against everyday sources of dust and smoke. Agencies may intensify road cleaning, dust suppression, construction-site compliance, waste management and action against open burning or visibly polluting vehicles.
For most residents, the stage may not produce a dramatic change in daily travel. Its purpose is to stop “poor” air from worsening by enforcing controls before pollution reaches emergency levels.
What changes at Stage II?
When the average AQI moves into the “very poor” band, authorities can expand mechanical sweeping and water sprinkling, strengthen public-transport services and apply tighter controls to diesel generators and other emission sources under the current schedule.
People with asthma, heart or lung conditions should pay closer attention to official health guidance at this level. AQI is a city-scale indicator, however, and neighbourhood exposure can differ because of traffic, construction and local wind.
Why Stage III affects construction and vehicles
Stage III introduces stronger restrictions intended for “severe” air. Construction and demolition activities can face broad limits, subject to the exemptions listed in the applicable CAQM order. Certain vehicle classes and industrial operations may also be restricted.
The exact rule matters. Headlines often reduce an order to “construction banned” or “cars banned,” but official documents can contain project, fuel, emergency-service or geographic exemptions. Employers and contractors should read the current order rather than a summary from a previous pollution episode.
Stage IV is the emergency level
Stage IV applies when Delhi's average AQI enters the “severe plus” category above 450. It adds the toughest transport, construction, education and workplace measures available under the plan, while continuing earlier-stage actions.
Schools, offices, truck operators and commuters should wait for specific directions from the competent authority. Crossing an AQI number on a private app does not automatically prove that every possible Stage IV measure is active; CAQM issues the operative order.
Why a stage can be imposed before the AQI reaches it
GRAP is designed to be preventive as well as reactive. Forecasts from weather and air-quality agencies help the subcommittee decide whether pollution is likely to reach a higher category. That allows restrictions to begin before the measured daily average crosses the threshold.
The same logic works in reverse. A stage can be revoked when conditions improve, while lower-stage controls remain. Rapid changes are possible when wind speed, temperature and regional smoke transport shift.
Where to check the current GRAP status
Use CAQM's official GRAP orders page for the legal status and date of the latest direction. Then check official Central Pollution Control Board data for measured AQI. Social posts and old screenshots may describe a stage that has already been revoked.
Before changing travel, school or work plans, confirm:
- The order's publication date and time.
- Whether it covers the entire NCR or a more specific area.
- The vehicle, construction or institutional exemptions.
- Any separate instructions issued by Delhi or neighbouring NCR governments.
GRAP cannot replace long-term emission reduction, but it gives authorities a common escalation system when air quality becomes dangerous. Understanding the stages helps residents recognise what an alert means without treating every poor-air day as the same emergency.
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