GRAP Stage 1 in Delhi-NCR from 21 Oct 2026: AQI 245, 25 actions and what citizens must do

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has put Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) into force across the Delhi-National Capital Region with immediate effect on 21 October 2026. Delhi’s average AQI was 244 at 2 PM and 245 at 4 PM, both in the ‘poor’ category (AQI 201-300). The GRAP sub-committee decided to implement all 25 Stage I actions and asked citizens to follow a Stage I charter: tuned vehicles, valid pollution certificates, avoiding firecrackers and no use of diesel generator sets except for emergencies. Separately, agencies must strictly enforce the ban on open burning of biomass and municipal solid waste.

What has CAQM announced for Delhi-NCR on 21 October 2026?

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has brought GRAP Stage I into force across the whole National Capital Region with immediate effect. The decision was taken by the CAQM sub-committee on GRAP, which met on 21 October 2026 to review the air quality of Delhi-NCR. The Press Information Bureau published the release at 7:23 PM that day.

The sub-committee reviewed the current air quality together with the weather forecasts of the India Meteorological Department and IITM, and then decided to implement all 25 Stage I action points straight away. The release says the actions will be implemented, monitored and reviewed by all the agencies concerned so that the AQI does not slip further.

Why was Stage I invoked now?

The trigger was the daily air quality bulletin of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The release gives these readings.

Time on 21 October 2026	Delhi average AQI	Category
2 PM	244	Poor
4 PM	245	Poor

Stage I of GRAP is meant for the ‘poor’ air quality band, when Delhi’s AQI is between 201 and 300. The sub-committee also said it will keep a close watch on air quality and will review the situation from time to time, using the forecasts of the weather department and IITM, to take further decisions.

What are the 25 Stage I actions?

The release lists 25 points. In plain language they fall into these groups.

• Dust: enforce dust control rules at construction and demolition sites (covered storage and transport of material, anti-smog guns, water sprinkling). Sites of 500 square metres or more that are not registered on the state or GNCTD web portal, or do not meet the remote-monitoring requirements, are not to be allowed to work.
• Roads and waste: regular mechanical sweeping and water sprinkling, scientific disposal of collected dust, timely lifting of municipal, construction and industrial waste, and no illegal dumping on open land.
• Burning: strict enforcement of the ban on open burning of biomass and municipal solid waste, with maximum environmental compensation for violations, and extra watch to prevent landfill fires.
• Vehicles and traffic: deploy staff at busy corridors and junctions, strict checking of pollution under control certificates, action against visibly polluting vehicles, and enforcement of the court orders on old diesel and petrol vehicles and on diversion of trucks through the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways.
• Industry and power: more inspections of industries, brick kilns and hot mix plants, emission rules for thermal power plants, minimal power cuts by distribution companies, and no regular use of diesel generator sets.
• Crackers and outreach: enforce court and authority orders on firecrackers; run awareness campaigns, use mobile apps and act quickly on complaints; encourage offices to arrange a unified (shared) commute for employees to cut road traffic, and expand CNG and electric buses, metro and RRTS services, with differential pricing to encourage off-peak travel.

Corrected on 22 October 2026: an earlier version said ‘staggered office hours’ and listed open burning and a firecracker ban as citizen-charter items; the CAQM order says ‘unified commute’, and open burning is an agency enforcement action.

What are the rules for diesel generator (DG) sets?

The release says DG sets are not to be used as a regular source of power supply, that DG set operation in industrial, commercial and residential areas of the NCR is regulated under CAQM Direction No. 76 of 29 September 2023 (as amended), and that electricity distribution companies should keep supply interruptions to the minimum.

The notice gives a table by generator capacity. Sets running on LPG, natural gas, bio-gas, propane or butane have no restriction. Sets up to 800 kW (1000 kVA) that meet the Ministry’s notification GSR 804(E) dated 3 November 2022 have no restriction. Older sets between 19 kW (23 kVA) and 800 kW need dual-fuel mode or a retrofitted emission control device from a certified agency, depending on size. For portable DG sets below 19 kW (23 kVA) no emission control method is available, and the notice says they are generally not permitted and are allowed only for specified emergency services. These services are lifts, escalators and travelators; hospitals and health facilities; railways; metro and MRTS; airports and inter-state bus terminals; sewage treatment plants; water pumping stations; projects of national security and defence; and telecom and IT or data services.

Which buses and vehicles are affected?

Point 19 of the list says that inter-city and inter-state buses coming from any city or town of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, as well as Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, must not be allowed to ply in Delhi-NCR unless they are EV, CNG or BS-VI diesel.

For private vehicles the release asks agencies to strictly check pollution under control certificate rules and to stop visibly polluting vehicles by impounding them or imposing the maximum penalty. It also asks for strict enforcement of the orders of the NGT and the Supreme Court on running old diesel and petrol vehicles. The release itself does not name the vehicle ages or fine amounts; those come from the existing orders it refers to.

What should citizens do under the Stage I charter?

The sub-committee has appealed to citizens of the NCR to cooperate and follow the Stage I citizen charter. In short:

1. Check the AQI on the SAMEER app and the GRAP status on the CAQM website.
2. Keep your vehicle engine tuned, tyre pressure correct and the pollution certificate valid; switch off the engine at red lights.
3. Do not run vehicles that are old or heavily polluting; prefer public transport, carpooling and EVs.
4. Segregate municipal waste, dump it only at the designated collection points and do not leave waste in the open. Remove construction waste quickly and follow dust control rules.
5. Plant more trees and cover open ground with grass or shrubs.
6. Avoid DG sets except for essential work.
7. Celebrate festivals in an eco-friendly way and avoid firecrackers.
8. Spread awareness among fellow citizens, including on social media.

How can you report polluting activity or check the schedule?

The release names the 311 app, the Green Delhi app and the SAMEER app as channels to report activities that pollute the air, and asks agencies to dispose of complaints on these apps and on social media platforms without delay. Agencies are also to inform people about pollution levels and control room contact details through mobile apps.

The release also says that the full current GRAP schedule (September 2026) is on the official website of the Commission and can be seen at caqm.nic.in. That schedule is the place to see what is required in higher stages if the air gets worse. Use only the official CAQM and PIB pages for confirmation.

What does the notice not say?

The release does not state:

• how long Stage I will remain in force, or when it will be withdrawn;
• fine amounts or penalty rates for violations;
• any closure of schools, colleges or offices, or any work-from-home order;
• vehicle age limits or the exact list of districts of the NCR;
• the measures of Stage II or higher, which depend on the AQI worsening and are in the schedule on caqm.nic.in;
• any day-wise AQI forecast.

If the AQI moves into a worse band, CAQM can announce a higher stage. Watch the CAQM website for that.