Action taken report by MoEF&CC in OA No 663 of 2023 "In re News item published in Indian Express dated 07.10.2023 titled GRAP Stage 1 kicks in as air quality dips to poor, condition likely to prevail till Sunday" dated 02/01/2024.

The report has been filed in compliance with the directions of the NGT to apprise the court of the steps being taken to prevent, control and abate air pollution in Delhi-NCR. A comprehensive action plan especially for winter months in the form of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) provides a specific set of actions, depending on severity of air pollution levels, to be implemented by identified agencies for minimizing air pollution - a situation that generally persists in the entire NCR during the peak winter months.

[2]

The schedule for GRAP was reviewed by the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) in 2023 and Direction No 77 was issued on October 6, 2023 for implementation with immediate effect, whenever orders are issued by the Commission for invoking actions under various stages in the entire NCR.

The Schedule of various preventive, mitigative and restrictive actions under different stages of the GRAP has been revised in October 2023. In addition key actions have been taken by the Central Government for combating air pollution level at national level including Delhi NCR. These include: National Clean Air Programme; measures for control of industrial emission; measures for control of emission from stubble burning; measures for control of vehicular emissions and waste management.