New Delhi, Nov 27 (IANS) AAP leader Gopal Rai on Thursday questioned the government’s decision to revoke Stage-3 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR, alleging that the move was taken despite worsening air quality.

This comes as the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) withdrew Stage-3 measures on Wednesday after data reportedly showed improvement over the past three days. However, Rai claimed the decision was unjustified and raised concerns about transparency in pollution data monitoring.

Speaking to IANS, Gopal Rai said, “The way the BJP government is handling pollution raises many questions. A new question has emerged — if today’s pollution level is higher than yesterday’s, why was GRAP-3 removed? The AQI today is higher than yesterday, yet Stage-3 restrictions were lifted. When pollution levels were lower, GRAP-3 was in force.”

Rai argued that removing restrictions at a time when pollution traditionally peaks was irresponsible.

“This is the first time Delhi is witnessing pollution levels rise in winter, yet restrictions are being relaxed. The government should be working to reduce pollution, but instead it is misrepresenting data. This is a humanitarian crime against the people of Delhi, who are suffering health impacts,” he said.

He further alleged that the government was manipulating figures instead of addressing the crisis.

“Air purifiers in Delhi have been sold out, and hospitals are witnessing a rise in respiratory cases. The government is not taking action and is instead hiding the data. Even if they can’t control pollution, manipulating numbers is wrong,” Rai added.

On Wednesday, CAQM cited a gradual improvement in air quality while announcing the withdrawal of Stage-3 curbs. With this rollback, Delhi will now operate under Stage-2 restrictions.

During winter, Delhi-NCR follows a graded protocol based on air quality levels — Stage 1 (Poor, AQI 201-300), Stage 2 (Very Poor, AQI 301-400), Stage 3 (Severe, AQI 401-450), and Stage 4 (Severe Plus, AQI above 450).

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday said that with Stage-3 removed, the 50 per cent work-from-home rule for offices and hybrid mode for schools have been discontinued.

Stage-3 restrictions include a ban on non-essential construction, stone crushing, mining, and the operation of older diesel goods vehicles. Under revised measures, only Stage-2 restrictions will remain in place across Delhi-NCR.

–IANS

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