On Wednesday, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) convened Delhi government agencies to demand stricter dust‑control enforcement as the metropolis’s AQI surged to 201, slipping into the 'poor' category.
MCD was singled out for bolstering dust‑mitigation on city roads and open spaces—an effort that has lagged as construction sites across Delhi continue to operate without wind barriers or dust screens, letting fine particles drift unchecked.
In response, CAQM imposed the first stage of its Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP‑1), banning coal and firewood in tandoors, restaurants and open eateries, and restricting diesel generators to emergencies only—an escalation that will trigger tighter limits as AQI climbs.
A resident from Karol Bagh told reporters that the relentless haze has forced her family to use portable air purifiers, a change she says the new measures might finally curb.