A man wearing a face mask waits at a bus stop on a smoggy evening in New Delhi on Friday.
| Photo Credit: MANAN VATSYAYANA
The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) on Friday lifted the existing ban on construction and demolition activities across the NCR, following an improvement in overall air quality.
The pollution watchdog also lifted the ban on the plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers, and permitted schools to operate fully in physical mode instead of the ‘hybrid mode’ in Delhi and its neighbouring districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar.
These curbs had been imposed under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a set of short-term emergency measures to control air pollution. The easing of restrictions will take effect after the respective State governments issue orders to implement them.
In Delhi, the move will also end the 50% work-from-home mandate. Under a standing order issued last year, all government and private offices are required to function with 50% of employees working from home whenever Stage III is enforced. Stages I and II of GRAP remain in force, said an official.
Foul air from Sunday
Delhi’s overall average air quality index (AQI) stood at 236 (‘poor’) at 4 p.m. on Friday, down from 380 (‘very poor’) a day earlier, as per the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily bulletin. The Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi cautioned that air quality is likely to return to the ‘very poor’ category on Sunday.
AQI is a measurement of air pollution on a scale of 0-500. A higher value suggests increased toxicity.
Published – January 03, 2026 01:06 am IST
