20 January 2026·PIB

CAQM revokes Stage IV restrictions across Delhi-NCR as AQI improves

In this note

1. At a Glance

CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas) is the statutory body coordinating air-pollution response in Delhi-NCR; it operationalises the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) via its Sub-Committee. [1][2]
On 20 Jan 2026, the Sub-Committee revoked Stage IV ("Severe+") restrictions invoked on 17 Jan 2026 after Delhi's average AQI fell from 440 → 378. [1]
Tests aspirant knowledge of air-quality governance, AQI bands, CPCB-IMD-IITM ecosystem, and CAQM Act 2021.

17 Jan 2026: Sub-Committee invoked Stage IV of GRAP after Delhi AQI breached the "Severe+" (>450) threshold. [1]
20 Jan 2026: Stage IV revoked with immediate effect as AQI improved to 378; meteorological forecasts from IMD and IITM (Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune) indicated a sustained improving trend. [1]

GRAP first notified by MoEFCC in 2017 based on a Supreme Court-mandated framework (M.C. Mehta line of cases) prepared by the erstwhile EPCA (Environment Pollution Prevention & Control Authority).
EPCA dissolved (2020); functions transferred to CAQM, constituted by Ordinance (Oct 2020) and replaced by the CAQM in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021. [2]
Revised GRAP schedule issued by CAQM ahead of winter — 4 stages tied to Delhi AQI bands. [2]

Parent Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC). [1]
Statute: Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021. [2]
Jurisdiction: NCT of Delhi + NCR districts of Haryana, UP, Rajasthan + adjoining areas.
GRAP Stages (Delhi AQI): [2]
Stage I — Poor (201–300)
Stage II — Very Poor (301–400)
Stage III — Severe (401–450)
Stage IV — Severe+ (>450)
Stage IV measures (revised GRAP): 8-point plan — truck entry ban (except essentials/CNG/EV), construction/demolition halt (incl. public projects), school closure decisions, work-from-home advisories, diesel 4-wheeler curbs. [3]
Forecast inputs: CPCB (daily AQI bulletin), IMD, IITM-Pune. [1]

Environmental

Winter inversion + stubble burning + vehicular/industrial load drive NCR's recurring "Severe+" episodes; GRAP is reactive, not preventive. [2]
Revocation tied to wind speed/ventilation index forecasts from IITM. [1]

Legal / Constitutional

CAQM Act 2021 overrides state pollution boards on air-quality matters in NCR; directions binding under Sec 14. Non-compliance — up to 5 yrs imprisonment / ₹1 cr fine. [2]
Anchored in Article 21 (right to clean air — Subhash Kumar, M.C. Mehta).

Administrative / Federalism

Single-window commission replaces fragmented action by Delhi, Haryana, UP, Rajasthan SPCBs — addresses inter-state airshed problem.
Sub-Committee on GRAP is the operational trigger authority. [1]

Economic

Stage IV halts construction & truck movement → MSME, logistics, daily-wage losses; revocation eases supply chains. [3]

Scientific / Technological

Decision-support via Decision Support System (DSS) by IITM modelling source-apportionment.
Satellite-based stubble-fire tracking by ISRO/NRSC feeds CAQM dashboards.

17 Jan 2026: Stage IV invoked after AQI spike. [1]
18–19 Jan 2026: Delhi AQI 440 → 410 → 378 (CPCB daily bulletin). [1]
20 Jan 2026: Stage IV revoked; Stages I-III remain in force as applicable. [1]
Earlier 2025 winter cycle saw multiple Stage III/IV invocations under the revised GRAP schedule. [2]

CAQM established under the CAQM Act, 2021 (replaced 2020 Ordinance). [2]
CAQM is under MoEFCC, not Ministry of Earth Sciences. [1]
GRAP Stage IV trigger: Delhi AQI above 450 ("Severe+"). [2]
AQI bands: 0-50 Good, 51-100 Satisfactory, 101-200 Moderate, 201-300 Poor, 301-400 Very Poor, 401-500 Severe (CPCB scale).
Daily AQI bulletin is issued by CPCB. [1]
Meteorological forecasts for GRAP come from IMD + IITM-Pune. [1]
IITM-Pune is an autonomous institute under Ministry of Earth Sciences (not MoEFCC).
GRAP first notified in 2017 by MoEFCC; revised by CAQM ahead of winter 2024. [2]
Penalty under CAQM Act: up to 5 years' imprisonment / ₹1 crore. [2]
EPCA, predecessor body, was dissolved in 2020.
Stage IV invoked 17 Jan 2026, revoked 20 Jan 2026. [1]
The Sub-Committee on GRAP (not full Commission) invokes/revokes stages. [1]

GS-III: Environment — Pollution & Conservation; Disaster Management (air-pollution as health emergency).
GS-II: Statutory bodies; Centre-State relations on environmental governance.
Possible question stems: 1. "GRAP is a reactive instrument in a problem that demands airshed-level structural reform." Discuss. 2. Examine the institutional architecture of CAQM. Has it overcome the limitations of EPCA? 3. Evaluate the role of scientific forecasting (IMD-IITM-CPCB) in operationalising India's pollution response.

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP, 2019) — long-term PM2.5/PM10 reduction targets.
CPCB & SPCBs — Water Act 1974, Air Act 1981 architecture.
Stubble burning & Pusa bio-decomposer — agronomic root cause.
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), 2009.
Bharat Stage VI norms — vehicular emission control.
PM2.5 vs PM10 — composition, sources, health impact.
Supreme Court in M.C. Mehta v. UoI — judicial origin of EPCA/GRAP.
WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines (2021) — comparator standards.

CAQM is under MoEFCC, not Ministry of Earth Sciences (which hosts IMD/IITM).
Stage III = Severe (401-450); Stage IV = Severe+ (>450) — aspirants often swap these.
GRAP is invoked by the Sub-Committee on GRAP of CAQM, not directly by Delhi Govt or CPCB.
CAQM Act is of 2021, not 2020 (Ordinance was 2020).
CPCB issues AQI bulletin; IMD/IITM provide weather & dispersion forecasts — don't conflate.