Fight Against PollutionGraded Response Action Plan (GRAP)
- GRAP is a set of stratified actions that are taken once the pollution level reaches a certain specified limit.
- Supreme Court (SC) had mandated the Environmental Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) to come up with such a plan.
- EPCA is SC mandated body notified under Environment Protection Act, 1986.
- EPCA was constituted in 1998.
- Air quality Index classifies air quality of a day considering criteria pollutants through color codes and air quality descriptor.
The index measures eight major pollutants namely
- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5)
- Nitrogen dioxide
- Sulphur dioxide
- Ozone
- Carbon monoxide
- Ammonia
- Lead
Reasons for Implementing GRAP Before Winter
- Stubble burning in states of Punjab and Haryana.
- Trapping of pollutants closer to the ground by slower winds and cooler temperatures.
- Other causes such as emissions from vehicles and industries, construction dust and the burning of waste etc.
- Recently, Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) , Pusa, Delhi has developed a decomposer capsule.
- It is called “Pusa bio-decomposer.”
- The capsule could be converted into a liquid solution and sprayed on fields to decompose the stubble.
✍Examrace Team at Aug 24, 2021