Overview
- The CAQM invoked Stage III with immediate effect across the NCR after CPCB readings showed Delhi’s AQI at 425 by 9 am.
- Non-essential construction and demolition are fully banned, including earthwork, trenching, RMC plants, stone crushers and mining.
- Private BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers are barred in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Noida, with exemptions for essential services and persons with disabilities.
- Schools up to Class 5 must shift to hybrid or online classes, and private offices are advised to adopt work-from-home or hybrid arrangements.
- CPCB data showed 34 of 39 Delhi stations in the ‘severe’ band, with sites such as Bawana at 462 and Wazirpur at 460, and Stage III adds to measures already in force under Stages I and II.