Key Facts

A familiar sense of dismay settles over Delhi-NCR every winter as suffocating air pollution grips the region, with air pollution remaining a persistent public health crisis. Commentary argues that relying primarily on the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is akin to treating a chronic illness with temporary first aid, since air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic Plain does not respect municipal boundaries and requires regional cooperation across neighbouring states, targeting baseline emissions through structural reforms rather than only emergency curbs.

GK Context

GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan), implemented by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region, prescribes escalating restrictions (construction bans, vehicle curbs, school closures) as the Air Quality Index worsens across four stages. Critics argue GRAP is a reactive, emergency-only mechanism rather than a preventive, year-round strategy addressing root causes such as stubble burning, vehicular emissions, industrial pollution and construction dust across Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The CAQM, established by a 2021 Act of Parliament, superseded the earlier Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA).