Up in the air: NCR's smog problem

Stubble burning can make plans ineffective

The graded response action plan (GRAP), which codifies the measures to curb the spike in air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR) every winter, has undergone some subtle but significant changes to ramp up its effectiveness. The most noteworthy among these is the emphasis on pre-emptive remedial action rather than waiting for the air to turn foul before curbing polluting activities. The advance action would be guided by the early warning system developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and the predictions made by the India Meteorological Department. Besides, the yardstick for determining the threshold for imposing restrictions