Delhi's winter pollution rules for 2026: what changes in GRAP

What GRAP is

The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is the set of emergency measures that the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) applies across Delhi and the National Capital Region as air quality worsens. Measures are grouped into four stages, and each stage adds tighter restrictions.

In recent years Stage I has come into force in mid-October. In 2024, for example, CAQM invoked Stage I across the NCR when the Air Quality Index reached 234, in the 'Poor' category.

What changed for 2026

CAQM revised GRAP on 28 September 2026, and its member SD Attri explained the changes the next day, ThePrint reported. Measures on diesel generator sets and on inter-city buses plying in Delhi have moved from Stage II to Stage I, so they now apply earlier. Some repeated construction and transport measures were also merged and moved from Stage II to Stage I.

During Stage III, restrictions on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars now also cover Haryana's Sonipat district and the border areas of Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar. The citizen charter, the list of actions asked of residents, has grown from 22 to 34 items.

Construction beyond city limits

CAQM also amended its directions on construction and demolition waste. Attri said construction had spread to areas outside urban local bodies, such as industrial areas, highways and development zones, and that construction there will now also have to be registered on web portals and monitored.

What Stage I involves

When CAQM invoked Stage I in 2024, the measures included enforcing dust control at construction and demolition sites, regular lifting of municipal solid waste, more anti-smog guns, water sprinkling and dust suppression, and making sure diesel generator sets were not used as a regular source of power.

States can go further

Attri said state governments are welcome to add their own pollution measures. ThePrint reported that the Delhi government and the Union Environment Ministry have announced further measures of their own, which CAQM said fall outside its jurisdiction.

What you can do

Check the daily Air Quality Index for your area, especially in the mornings and evenings, and follow CAQM's citizen charter when a stage is in force. People with asthma, heart or lung conditions, older adults and children are most affected by poor air, and should take extra care on bad days.