As Delhi’s air pollution worsens during the winter season, emergency restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) have returned to focus. However, questions remain over whether temporary curbs can deliver lasting improvements without sustained action against pollution sources throughout the year.

However, questions remain over whether temporary curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) can deliver lasting improvements in air quality without stronger action against pollution sources throughout the year.

An analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) indicates that Delhi’s winter air quality has not shown consistent improvement over the past four years. The findings also highlight how pollution levels often remain elevated even after stricter GRAP measures are introduced.

What the data says about GRAP’s effectiveness

CREA examined 12 episodes across four winters in which Delhi’s air quality deteriorated from lower GRAP stages to Stage III or Stage IV. In 10 of those episodes, the average Air Quality Index (AQI) during the following week was higher than in the preceding week. The remaining two episodes recorded a decline.

The findings raise questions about the effectiveness of relying on emergency restrictions as the primary response to deteriorating air quality. However, the comparison does not establish that GRAP caused pollution to rise, nor does it show what pollution levels would have been without the restrictions.

The analysis also found no consistent improvement in Delhi’s average winter AQI across the four seasons examined.

The figures show fluctuations rather than a sustained downward trend, reinforcing concerns about the limitations of temporary pollution-control measures.

What is GRAP and when does it apply?

The Graded Response Action Plan is a set of progressively stricter measures designed to address deteriorating air quality across Delhi-NCR. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) oversees its implementation.

The framework has four stages, with restrictions becoming more stringent as air quality worsens. Measures can include dust-control requirements, restrictions on construction activities, checks on polluting vehicles and curbs on certain industrial activities.

GRAP Stage I was imposed across Delhi-NCR in October 2026 after Delhi’s AQI rose from 179 on October 20 to 244 at 2 pm on October 21, placing it in the ‘Poor’ category.

While these measures are intended to limit further deterioration, the recurring need for stricter restrictions highlights the challenge of preventing pollution before it reaches dangerous levels.

Why emergency restrictions may not be enough

Pollution levels are influenced by multiple factors, including emissions, weather conditions and how effectively restrictions are enforced.

The CREA analysis highlights the limitations of relying primarily on emergency restrictions after air quality deteriorates. Reducing emissions at their source through sustained pollution-control measures is important for addressing Delhi’s recurring air quality problem.

During winter, slower winds and atmospheric conditions can prevent pollutants from dispersing effectively. As a result, pollution from vehicles, industries and other activities can remain concentrated close to the ground.

This means that restrictions introduced after air quality deteriorates may not deliver an immediate improvement, particularly when emissions continue and weather conditions remain unfavourable.

Pollution control needs stronger enforcement

Environmental concerns also extend beyond the announcement of restrictions to whether authorities can enforce them consistently.

The effectiveness of pollution-control measures also depends on how consistently they are implemented. Monitoring compliance with restrictions and enforcing applicable rules are important to ensure that the measures achieve their intended impact.

Vehicle emissions are also only one part of the problem. Road dust, construction activity, waste burning, inadequate waste management and industrial emissions contribute to the city’s pollution burden.

Focusing exclusively on vehicles risks overlooking these other sources. Authorities therefore need to ensure that pollution-control measures cover different sources of emissions and are implemented consistently.

Delhi needs a year-round pollution-control strategy

The recurring winter pollution crisis highlights the need to move beyond a response centred on seasonal restrictions. Emergency measures can help address deteriorating air quality, but they cannot replace sustained efforts to reduce emissions.

Long-term action requires better control of pollution from transport, construction, road dust, waste burning and industrial activities, alongside effective monitoring and enforcement.

The central challenge is to reduce pollution before it reaches severe levels rather than relying mainly on restrictions introduced during an air-quality emergency. Without consistent action throughout the year, Delhi risks continuing to face the same cycle of worsening winter air quality and increasingly stringent curbs.

Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi shifted classes to online mode on October 24 after students protesting for the restoration of student union elections clashed with campus security guards. The confrontation came amid an ongoing agitation over the university’s students’ union, which has been disbanded since 2006.

The protest has continued since October 12, with students seeking the reinstatement of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU). The university had discontinued the union following campus violence that resulted in disruptions to academic activities, according to the report.

Why Jamia students are protesting

The students are demanding the restoration of their union and the resumption of student union elections. Their agitation has included a hunger strike, while the university administration has sought to address the matter through a committee tasked with working on the union’s constitution.

The situation escalated on Saturday when students and security guards clashed on campus. The developments prompted the university to shift classes online as tensions continued around the protest.

The All India Students’ Association (AISA), a student organisation, alleged that the administration acted against students who were on hunger strike without provocation. The university administration rejected the allegation, according to the report.

Jamia registrar makes allegations against Congress MPs

Jamia Registrar Mahtab Alam Rizvi alleged that Congress MPs Imran Pratapgarhi and Imran Masood had visited the campus on October 23 and disturbed the university environment, contributing to the situation surrounding the protest.

Rizvi also alleged that the two leaders entered the campus by jumping over a wall. He said a complaint had been filed with the Delhi Police. These are allegations attributed to the registrar and should not be presented as independently established facts.

The university’s decision to move classes online comes as the dispute over the restoration of the students’ union continues. 

The Congress has formally initiated seat-sharing discussions with the Samajwadi Party (SP) for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, submitting an initial list of constituencies it wants to contest as part of an alliance.

Congress’ Uttar Pradesh in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam said the party had shared a list covering between 175 and 200 seats with Samajwadi Party leaders a few days ago. Detailed discussions on the distribution of constituencies are expected to follow.

The Uttar Pradesh Assembly has 403 seats. While the Congress is seeking a substantial share in the proposed alliance, the Samajwadi Party has emphasised that candidates’ electoral winnability should determine seat allocation.

A senior SP leader said the party’s position was guided by the principle that winnability should remain the primary criterion. The leader also cautioned against treating initial demands as a basis for a final agreement.

Why the Congress wants a larger share of seats

The Congress believes its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections has strengthened its position in Uttar Pradesh. The party won six parliamentary seats in the state while its ally, the Samajwadi Party, secured 37. The BJP won 33 seats.

Congress leaders have argued that the results demonstrated the electoral potential of the alliance and the importance of allowing both parties a meaningful role in the upcoming Assembly contest.

However, the party’s recent Assembly election record presents a different picture. The Congress won only two seats in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, down from seven in 2017, when it contested in alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

The difference between its performance in the parliamentary and Assembly elections is likely to be an important consideration in the seat-sharing negotiations.

Akhilesh Yadav stresses opposition unity

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has maintained that the Congress, the SP and the INDIA bloc need to work together to defeat the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

Speaking to reporters in Lucknow on Friday, Yadav said the alliance would move forward effectively towards that objective. His remarks indicated that the two parties remain committed to cooperation even as discussions over the distribution of seats continue.

The challenge for both sides will be to reach an arrangement that accommodates their respective political ambitions while taking the electoral strength of individual candidates and constituencies into account.

Congress leadership changes amid alliance talks

The Congress has also reorganised its Uttar Pradesh leadership ahead of the Assembly elections. Aradhana Misra was appointed as the state unit chief, replacing Ajay Rai.

The leadership change is believed by some Congress leaders to be part of efforts to facilitate a workable arrangement with the Samajwadi Party. Misra is considered to have good relations with the SP leadership.

Congress leaders have expressed hope that negotiations will produce a reasonable seat-sharing agreement and confirmed that the two parties intend to contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections together.

The final seat allocation, however, remains undecided. Both parties will need to reconcile the Congress’ demand for a larger share with the SP’s emphasis on winnability before the alliance can settle on a constituency-wise arrangement.