Overview
- CAQM activated Stage III across the region after Delhi’s average AQI jumped from 362 on Monday to about 425–428 on Tuesday, with dozens of stations in the severe band including Bawana at 462.
- Stage III bans all non-essential construction and demolition and orders closure of stone crushers and mining, while essential public projects such as rail, metro, airports, defence, sanitation and healthcare are exempt under strict dust controls.
- Private BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers are restricted in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar, with limited exemptions including vehicles adapted for persons with disabilities and curbs on specified goods carriers.
- Schools have been directed to run classes up to Grade 5 in hybrid mode, and authorities have advised staggered office timings and work-from-home or hybrid arrangements to cut traffic emissions.
- CAQM attributed the spike to calm winds, a stable atmosphere and temperature inversion, and noted the move followed a prior day’s monitoring outage that delayed a Stage III decision.