Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)

Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)

Subject: Environment

Context:

Recently, with deteriorating Delhi’s air quality to hazardous levels, measures under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was invoked with immediate effect.

What is GRAP:

• GRAP is a set of emergency measures that kick in to prevent further deterioration of air quality once it reaches a certain threshold in Delhi-NCR region.
• It was approved by the Supreme Court in 2016 and was notified in 2017.
• For the implementation of the plan, the Centre decided to set up the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas.

What are different stages of GRAP:

The GRAP are divided into four stages:

• Stage 1– “poor”AQI of 201 and 300
• Stage 2– “very poor”AQI of 301-400
• Stage 3– “severe”AQI of 401-450
• Stage 4– “severe plus”AQImore than 450.

What are restriction in different stages of GRAP:

• Stage 1 of GRAP
• Implementation of a ban on construction and demolition activities at specific sites.
• Agencies should ensure that all solid waste is lifted from dedicated dump sites and that none is dumped on open land.
• Imposition of severe fine on openly burning municipal solid trash and biomass.
• Roads will occasionally be watered and mechanically cleaned.
• The ban on firecrackers should be followed as per the directions of respective courts.
• Thermal power plants must comply with emission norms.

Stage 2 of GRAP

• Daily mechanized sweeping of roads.
• Sprinkling water using dust suppressants will be done at least on alternate days.
• Providing uninterrupted power supply to discontinue the use of generators.

Stage 3 of GRAP

• Roads are cleaned more frequently.
• Daily watering would take place before the peak hours.
• To promote off-peak travel, authorities will impose varied fees on public transportation services.
• All construction activities–aside from those already underway for projects involving railroads, metro systems, airports, and hospitals, will be strictly prohibited.
• The State government would have the authority to imposelimits on light motor vehicles that use BS-III gasoline and BS-IV diesel.

Stage 4 of GRAP

• All trucks, excluding those transporting necessities, will be prohibited from entering when the air quality reaches dangerous levels.
• Diesel-powered four-wheel LMVs would also be prohibited, with the exception of those needed for vital or emergency services.
• All construction and demolition activities would have to be
• It may also be necessary to impose further emergency measures, such as closing schools, prohibiting non-emergency commercial activity, and driving on the odd-even schedule.

Who will implement and enforce the GRAP:

• The Commission for Air Quality Management( CAQM) has constituted a sub-committee for the operationalization of the GRAP.
• This body includes officials from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), member secretaries of pollution control boards of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, the Central Pollution Control Board, a scientist from the IMD and one from the IITM and Health Advisor.
• The sub-committee is required to meet frequently to issue orders to invoke the GRAP.
• The orders and directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) will prevail in case of any conflict between directions issued by the State governments and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). 

How is GRAP different this year:

• In the version of the GRAP that was notified in 2017, measures kicked in after pollution concentrations reached a certain level. This year, measures are pre-emptive and will kick in based on forecasts in an attempt to prevent the AQI from deteriorating further.
• The older version of the GRAP was enforced based only on the concentration of PM2.5 and PM10. This year, GRAP is being enforced based on the AQI, which takes other pollutants also into account, such as ozone, sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen.
• For the first time, it specifies that State governments in the NCR may impose restrictions on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four wheelersunder Stage-3, or when the AQI is likely to reach the ‘severe’ category.
• In the ‘severe +’ category, GRAP imposes a ban on plying of four-wheelers in Delhi and NCR districts bordering Delhi, except for BS-VI vehicles and those plying for emergency or essential services.
• Restrictions on some construction activities will also set in earlier in the revised GRAP.
• A ban on construction activities except for those involving railways, projects of national security, hospitals, metro services, and linear public projects like highways, roads will be imposed under the ‘severe’ category.
• In the previous plan, the construction ban was implemented only in the ‘severe +’ category.