The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change reported on 4 May 2026 that the Sub-Committee on the Graded Response Action Plan of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas revoked all Stage-I actions across the entire NCR with immediate effect. The unanimous decision followed improvement in Delhi’s average air quality and forecasts from IMD and IITM indicating that air quality was likely to remain in the Satisfactory to Moderate category in the coming days.
Stage-I of the existing GRAP schedule had been invoked by the Sub-Committee through an order dated 16 April 2026, when Delhi’s average AQI had begun showing an increasing trend. The 4 May decision reversed that response after Delhi’s daily average AQI improved from 175 on 3 May 2026 to 88 on 4 May 2026. The Ministry attributed the improvement to rain and favourable meteorological conditions, citing the AQI bulletin of the Central Pollution Control Board.
Revocation of Stage-I does not mean agencies can relax core pollution-control duties. The release said all agencies of the concerned State Governments and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in NCR must continue implementing statutory directions, advisories and orders issued by the Commission. This includes rules and guidelines across contributing sectors.
The Commission also asked agencies to follow actions and targeted timelines set out in its comprehensive policy to curb NCR air pollution, particularly dust mitigation measures. The Sub-Committee will continue to keep a close watch on the air-quality scenario and review the situation from time to time, depending on Delhi’s air quality and forecasts from IMD and IITM.