NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has announced that access for buses, with the exception of those running on CNG, BSVI diesel, and electric vehicles, will be managed in the capital if restrictions outlined in the ultimate phase of the central government's air pollution control strategy are implemented.Stage IV signifies the conclusive stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).Worsening Air Quality: Work from home, trucks banned, CAQM enforces stage-4 of GRAP"Entry of all buses, including All India Tourist buses/ Contract Carriage buses/ State Transport Buses or holding any other kind of permit into Delhi from other states except CNG / Electric or BSVI diesel buses will be restricted as and when GRAP IV invokes.

The above mentioned restrictions shall stand automatically applicable, as and when GRAP - IV is invoked from the date of issuance of this order in Delhi Gazette, and if the GRAP IV is revoked the said restrictions stand terminated automatically, no separate order will be issued," PTI quoted an official gazette notification as saying.Delhi Pollution: Smog shrouds the National Capital as air quality hits 'very poor' categoryIn the preceding month, the Delhi government mandated that all buses entering the national capital from Haryana must operate on electricity, CNG, or BS-VI diesel.Buses entering from the NCR regions of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are also required to adhere to these regulations, necessitating operation on electricity, CNG, or BS-VI diesel as directed by the Delhi government.Delhi-NCR pollution: Schools shut as AQI drops into ‘severe’ zone, PM2.5 concentration rises to over 7 times the safe limitAs of July 1, the transport department of the city government has declared that only buses powered by electricity, CNG, and BS-VI diesel will be permitted to enter Delhi from any city or town in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.On November 18, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas, a statutory body tasked with developing strategies to address pollution in the region, requested Delhi and the NCR states to rescind all emergency measures.Drone footage shows Delhi choking under blanket of toxic smogThese measures restricted the entry of vehicles into Delhi to only CNG, electric, and BS VI-compliant vehicles from other states, with exemptions provided for those engaged in essential services.On Wednesday morning, the air quality throughout the city deteriorated and was documented in the "very poor" category.At 9:05 am on Wednesday, the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 394, showing an increase from 365 recorded on Tuesday.The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for the National Capital Region (NCR) is categorized into four stages corresponding to different levels of adverse air quality in Delhi.

These stages are as follows: Stage I - 'poor' (AQI 201–300), Stage II - 'very poor' (AQI 301–400), Stage III - 'severe' (AQI 401–450), and Stage IV - 'severe+' (AQI >450).With agency inputs