The Commission for Air Quality Management on Saturday decided to implement measures under stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan, or GRAP, in view of the worsening air quality in Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region).
These are the measures prescribed under stage III:
1. Ban on all construction and demolition activities, barring essential projects and services concerning national security, defence, health care, railways, airports, metro rail, interstate bus terminus, highways, roads, flyovers, power transmission, pipelines among others. Mining activities will also not be allowed in the region.
2. The ban on construction and demolition activities also covers earthwork for excavation, boring and drilling; fabrication and welding operations; loading and unloading of construction material; transfer of raw material, including fly ash, either manually or through conveyor belts and vehicular movement on unpaved roads.
3. Stage III also bans the operation of batching plants; laying of sewer lines, waterline, drainage work and electric cabling through open trench system; cutting and fixing of tiles, stones and other flooring materials; grinding activities; piling work; water proofing work; road construction and repair works, including paving of sidewalks, pathways and central verges among others.
4. States may impose restrictions on the running of BS III petrol and BS IV diesel four-wheel drives in the NCR considering the worsening air quality. This direction is non-binding on authorities.
5. Brick kilns, hot mix plants and stone crushers not operating on clean fuel and mining and associated activities in the NCR have also been banned.
6. Industries not running on approved fuels in industrial areas having PNG (piped natural gas) infrastructure and supply will have to be shut down.
7. In industrial areas not having PNG infrastructure and supply, industries not using approved fuels can operate only for five days a week.
Paper and pulp processing, distilleries and captive thermal power plants to remain inoperative on Saturdays and Sundays. Paddy/rice processing units to remain inoperative on Mondays and Tuesdays. Textile/garments and apparels, including dyeing processes, to remain inoperative on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Other industries not falling in the above noted categories to remain inoperative on Fridays and Saturdays.
8. Milk and dairy units and those involved in manufacturing of life-saving medical equipment and medicines have been exempt from the restrictions.
9. Under stage III, frequency of mechanised/vacuum-based sweeping of roads has to be intensified.
10. Authorities are required to sprinkle water and use dust suppressants, before peak traffic hours, on roads, hotspots, heavy traffic corridors and dispose of the collected dust at designated sites or landfills.
11. Authorities are required to intensify public transport services and introduce differential rates to encourage off-peak travel.
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