New Delhi, December 24, 2025: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Wednesday revoked the stringent restrictions imposed under Stage-IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR after a noticeable improvement in air quality, officials said.
The curbs had been enforced on December 13 after Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) sharply deteriorated and crossed the 450 mark, placing it in the ‘severe’ category. However, a review by the CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP found that air quality improved significantly from Tuesday night due to favourable meteorological conditions, including higher wind speeds.
According to officials, Delhi’s average AQI stood at 271 on Wednesday, falling into the ‘poor’ category. Based on forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), the AQI is expected to remain in the ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ range in the coming days.
“Considering the improvement in air quality and the highly disruptive nature of Stage-IV restrictions, which impact a large number of stakeholders and the general public, the Commission has decided to revoke all actions under Stage-IV of the extant GRAP with immediate effect across the entire NCR,” an official said.
Despite the rollback, restrictions under GRAP Stages I, II and III, as notified in November 2025, will continue to remain in force. Authorities have been directed to strictly implement, monitor and review these measures to prevent any further deterioration in air quality.
The Commission also clarified that construction and demolition sites that were shut due to specific violations or non-compliance with statutory norms will not be allowed to resume operations unless explicit permission is granted by the CAQM.
Advising caution amid the winter season, the
Commission urged citizens to strictly follow the citizen charter under GRAP Stages I to III, noting that weather conditions could turn unfavourable and cause pollution levels to spike again.
