Overview
- The CAQM invoked Stage III with immediate effect after Delhi’s average AQI jumped from 362 on Monday to about 425–428 on Tuesday, the first ‘severe’ reading of the season.
- Non-essential construction and demolition are banned, with closures ordered for stone crushers and mining activities across the region.
- Use of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers is restricted in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Noida, with exemptions for essential services and persons with disabilities.
- Schools up to Class 5 will operate in hybrid or online mode, and agencies have advised work-from-home or staggered timings to cut traffic emissions.
- Authorities note a prior pollution-data outage on Monday that complicated decisions, and say Stage III measures will remain until sustained improvement is recorded.