“Experts Say GRAP Tackles Symptoms, Not Root Causes of Delhi’s Air Pollution”

New Delhi, Jan 14: As Delhi grapples with severe air pollution, experts have criticised the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for providing only temporary relief while failing to address the root causes of the city’s persistent smog.

“GRAP is a well designed emergency policy by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), but it has not led to significant reductions in pollution levels,” said environmentalist Sunil Dahiya, highlighting that the plan relies on an outdated emissions inventory and lacks mechanisms to track overall emissions across the NCR.

GRAP divides pollution control measures into four stages, triggered as air quality deteriorates. Tools like the Decision Support System (DSS) and the Real-Time Advanced Air Source Management Network (R-AASMAN) exist for monitoring and modelling, but they are not linked in a way that allows authorities to evaluate GRAP’s impact on total emissions.

Systemic Change Needed
Director of the Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, Bharati Chaturvedi, stressed that lasting solutions require tackling sources of pollution rather than managing symptoms.

“GRAP should be phased out gradually. It is like applying an ointment to a fracture. If we do not look beyond GRAP, Delhi will face the same crisis year after year,” she said.

Experts recommend measures such as decongestion, improved public transport, ending biomass and waste burning, and stronger enforcement mechanisms. Harjeet Singh, Strategic Advisor to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty initiative, added:

“We need an uncompromising airshed-level governance model and massive investment in public transport. Systemic change demands managing pollution at the source, not just the symptoms.”

Recent Updates to GRAP
In November 2025, CAQM tightened GRAP norms, advancing several pollution-control measures to earlier stages. Restrictions previously triggered at higher AQI levels now activate sooner. For example:

Continuous power supply to discourage diesel generator use

Increased CNG and electric public transport frequency

Staggered government office hours and work-from-home arrangements for severe AQI stages

A CAQM official said the agency is reviewing GRAP measures to enhance enforcement and effectiveness on the ground, while continuing to examine stricter measures for long-term impact.

Delhi Air Quality Snapshot
Delhi recorded the highest annual average PM10 concentration in India in 2025 at 197 μg/m³, nearly three times the national standard of 60 μg/m³. On Wednesday morning, air quality slipped to the ‘very poor’ category, with five of 39 monitoring stations recording ‘severe’ pollution levels, according to CPCB data.

Environmentalists warn that unless systemic reforms are implemented, Delhi’s residents will continue facing hazardous air quality, year after year.