The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has issued an order revising the schedule of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for the entire National Capital Region (NCR). This revision, effective immediately, advances several anti-pollution measures to be triggered at lower Air Quality Index (AQI) levels following observations by the Supreme Court.
The CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP consulted with stakeholders on November 20, 2025, and agreed upon the amendments.
Key Changes to GRAP Implementation
The revised schedule moves certain measures that were previously reserved for higher pollution stages to be implemented earlier:
| New Stage | Original Stage | Action Advanced |
| GRAP Stage I (AQI 201–300, ‘Poor’) | Stage II | * Power Supply: Ensure uninterrupted supply to discourage the use of Diesel Generator (DG) sets. * Traffic Management: Synchronize traffic movements and deploy adequate personnel at congestion points. * Public Awareness: Issue alerts in newspapers, TV, and radio advising people about pollution levels and “Do’s and Don’ts”. * Public Transport: Augment public transport via CNG/electric buses and metro services, increasing fleet size and frequency. Introduce differential rates to encourage off-peak travel. |
| GRAP Stage II (AQI 301–400, ‘Very Poor’) | Stage III | * Office Timings Staggering: GNCTD and NCR State Governments (Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar) to stagger timings for public offices and municipal bodies. Central Government may decide on staggering timings for its offices in Delhi-NCR. |
| GRAP Stage III (AQI 401–450, ‘Severe’) | Stage IV | * Work from Home (WFH): NCR State Governments/GNCTD to decide on allowing public, municipal, and private offices to work on 50% strength with the rest working from home. * Central Govt WFH: Central Government may decide on permitting work from home for its employees. |
Current Status and Implementation
As of the date of the order, GRAP Stage-I, Stage-II, and Stage-III had already been invoked effective October 14, 2025, October 19, 2025, and November 11, 2025, respectively, under the previous schedule.
All responsible agencies are now required to note the modifications to the GRAP schedule and implement the revised measures immediately. The restrictive actions undertaken under previous stages must be continued when a higher stage is invoked.
The GRAP outlines that actions can be invoked in advance of the AQI reaching projected levels, or immediately if the threshold is breached due to extreme meteorological conditions or an episodic event.