GRADED RESPONSE ACTION PLAN(GRAP)
1.Context
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider easing Graded Response Action Plan-4 (GRAP-4) restrictions in the national capital on November 25 after the Centre for Air Quality Management (CAQM) claimed the air quality in Delhi has entered a relatively easy-to-breathe GRAP-2 stage in the past two days.
2.What is a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)
In 2014, when a study by the WHO found that Delhi was the most polluted city in the world, panic spread in the center and the state government. Approved by the supreme court in 2016, the plan was formulated after several meetings that the Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) held with state government representatives and experts. The result was a plan that institutionalized measures to be taken when air quality deteriorates.
The plan was notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate change in 2017.
GRAP works only as an emergency measure.
It institutionalized measures to be taken when air quality deteriorates.
1. The plan is incremental- therefore, when the air quality moves from 'poor' to 'very poor, the measures listed under both sections have to be followed.
2. It prevents PM10 and PM2.5 levels from going beyond the 'moderate' national AQI category.
Authorities from both Haryana and UP had informed EPCA at the time that they would put in the required measures by winter 2020 for the supply of electricity from the grid.
3.Has GRAP Helped?
- The biggest success of GRAP has been in fixing accountability and deadlines.
- For each action to be taken under a particular air quality category, executing agencies are marked.
- In a territory like Delhi, where a multiplicity of authorities has been a long-standing impediment to effective governance, this step made a crucial difference.
4.Measures that are taken in other states
- one criticism of the EPCA, as well as GRAP, has been the focus on Delhi. While other states have managed to delay several measures, citing a lack of resources, Delhi has always been the first to have stringent measures enforced.
- When the air quality shifts from poor to very poor, the measures listed under both sections have to be followed since the plan is incremental in naturality reaches the severe+ stage, GRAP talks about shutting down schools and implementing the odd-even road-space rationing scheme.
5.Actions under GRAP
Severe+ or Emergency |
(PM 2.5 OVER 300 300 µg/cubic metre or PM10 over 500µg/cu. m. for 48+ hours)
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Severe |
(PM 2.5 OVER 250µg/cu. m. or PM10 over 430 µg/cu. m. )
|
Very Poor |
(PM2.5 121-250 µg/cu. m. or PM10 351-430 µg/cu.m. )
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Moderate to Poor |
(PM2.5 61-120 µg/cu. m. or PM10 101-350 µg/cu. m.)
|
For Prelims and Mains
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For Prelims: Graded Response Action Plan, National Capital Region (NCR),Environmental pollution(prevention control)Authority (EPCA).
For Mains:
1. What is GRAP? What is the Delhi-NCR action plan as air pollution increases? (250 words).
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SOURCE: The Indian Express
