Delhi-NCR enters pollution season with generator and bus curbs at Stage I
Published
CAQM approved the revised plan on 28 September. Older goods vehicles lose an exemption on 31 October, and construction curbs start on 1 November.
Reporting as of 1 October 2026, 2pm IST.
Which pollution rules start now in Delhi-NCR? The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) approved a revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on 28 September, and the region enters the pollution season under it from 1 October, ThePrint and WION reported.
The biggest shift is that some measures now kick in earlier. For drivers and residents, the changes cover generators, buses, older goods vehicles and construction.
Diesel generators and inter-city buses move to Stage I
Diesel generator set and inter-city bus restrictions have moved from Stage II to Stage I, so they apply sooner. CAQM member SD Attri told ThePrint, "We have merged and shifted certain repeated measures from stage II to stage I".
The revised GRAP has 48 measures in all: 25 in Stage I, 8 in Stage II, 10 in Stage III and 5 in Stage IV, WION reported.
The next changes hit vehicles directly.
Older goods vehicles lose their exemption in the top stages
Under Stages III and IV, the exemption for BS-IV and older goods vehicles has been removed, WION reported. The BS-IV transitional period ends on 31 October 2026.
Stage III curbs on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers have also been extended to Sonipat and border areas, according to ThePrint.
Construction is the other big target.
Construction rules reach beyond municipal limits
Monitoring of construction and demolition now extends past municipal limits to controlled, industrial and highway zones, both outlets reported. Large sites must register on web portals; ThePrint gives the registration threshold as 500 sq m.
Construction and demolition restrictions start on 1 November, ThePrint reported. One search listing gave a longer dust-demolition window, 1 November 2026 to 31 January 2027, but only one source said so and we have not confirmed it.
Residents get a longer charter of actions
CAQM raised the citizen charter from 22 to 34 actions, ThePrint reported. The pages we read do not list them, so we do not spell them out here.
What we don't know yet
- Today's air quality index, and whether any stage beyond Stage I has been triggered.
- Whether the hashtag #FightAgainstPollution is trending: we found it in no source, so this story rests on the GRAP revision.
What happens next
The BS-IV transitional period ends on 31 October, and construction and demolition restrictions start on 1 November.
This story was produced with AI assistance and reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication.
Covered by 2 outlets across the spectrum: 0% left, 50% center, 50% right.