Days to go until Diwali, the air quality in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) has dropped drastically, invoking the GRAP-II (Graded Response Action Plan) rules for the first time this season. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has invoked the Stage-II restrictions across the entire NCR with immediate effect after Delhi’s average AQI (Air Quality Index) rose to 324 on Monday, placing it in the “Very Poor” category.
Meanwhile, air pollution curbs led to massive traffic snarls at Delhi’s interstate borders. The Delhi High Court also refused to stay the city administration’s decision to bar entry of non-Delhi-registered vehicles that do not meet BS-VI emission standards into the Capital from November 1 to January 31.
The CAQM’s decision came as Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) climbed to 324 at 4 pm on November 2.
“The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi, which was observed at 117 (‘Moderate’ Category) on 31.10.2026, has exhibited a sharp rise to an AQI of 261 (‘Poor’ Category) on 01.11.2026 and has further increased to 324 (‘Very Poor’ Category) on 02.11.2026 owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions.
The CAQM said in a statement, citing unfavourable meteorological conditions and forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), that air quality was likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category over the coming days. “Accordingly, the sub-committee decides to invoke all actions under Stage-II (‘very poor’ air quality) of the extant GRAP in the entire NCR, with immediate effect,” the order dated November 2 read. GRAP is a set of emergency measures that kick in to prevent further deterioration of air quality once it reaches a certain threshold.
The Decision Support System for Delhi estimated that the transport sector contributed 19.2% to the city’s pollution. Industries in Delhi and peripheral areas accounted for 4.2%, while residential activities contributed 4.9%. Stubble burning accounted for 8.4% of the pollution, with other sources contributing 20.7%.
The GRAP-II involves a series of restrictions that include mechanical or vacuum sweeping of roads and water sprinkling, raising parking fees to discourage the use of personal vehicles, and increasing the frequency of Metro services and CNG and electric buses.
The GRAP-I rules were imposed on October 21 when the AQI was 244. GRAP 1 measures entail promoting the use of public transport, checking Pollution under Control (PUC) certificates, and barring diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years. It also bans the use of coal and firewood in roadside eateries and commercial tandoors and restricts the use of diesel generators.
In September, the CAQM modified the GRAP framework, bringing changes like the extension of restrictions on the plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel or below-standard LMVs (four-wheelers) to Sonipat in Haryana under GRAP-3.
The second day of the restrictions on vehicles entering Delhi saw intensified checks at several interstate borders, triggering long traffic queues on roads connecting the capital with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Heavy congestion was reported at several entry points, including the Delhi-Gurugram, Delhi-Noida, Delhi-Ghaziabad, Delhi-Sonipat and Delhi-Najafgarh borders, as enforcement teams checked vehicles for compliance with the prescribed emission standards.
The Delhi-Gurugram border witnessed particularly heavy congestion, with traffic on NH-48 remaining backed up for several kilometres near the Sirhaul toll plaza. The snarls also affected the main carriageway and service roads. Similar traffic jams were reported near Noida and Ghaziabad, where vehicles were stopped during checks to ensure compliance with the restrictions.
At the Aya Nagar border, Delhi Traffic Police and Transport Department enforcement teams intensified checking and turned back vehicles that did not meet the prescribed BS-VI emission standards.
On November 1, Delhi Traffic Police checked 7,279 vehicles between midnight and 8 pm, turned back 714 and impounded 38, according to an earlier statement.