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Informist, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024

 

NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court Thursday relaxed the stage IV curbs of the Graded Response Action Plan in Delhi-National Capital Region and permitted the Commission for Air Quality Management to go to stage II of the plan. It will be appropriate if the commission incorporates additional measures that are part of stage III, the court said.

 

"We must record here that if it (the commission) finds that AQI (air quality index) goes above 350, as a precautionary measure stage III will have to be immediately implemented. If AQI crosses 400 on a given day, Stage IV to be reintroduced," said the bench of Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih.

 

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the commission, said that even stage I of the action plan would not apply as the air quality in Delhi had improved substantially. "As of yesterday's (Wednesday's) reading, we are out of GRAP (action plan)," Bhati said, and suggested that applicability of the action plan be left to the commission.

 

"We have the figures of AQI from Nov. 18 till Dec. 4, and up to Nov. 30 the levels are consistently above 300," the court responded. "It is only during the last four days that the levels have come down below 300." Therefore, the bench said it did not deem it appropriate at this stage to allow the commission to go below stage II of the action plan. "Further monitoring on the part of this court is necessary," it said.

 

The Graded Response Action Plan is a set of guidelines to combat air pollution in Delhi-National Capital Region based on the Air Quality Index. Restrictions under stage I are activated when the index is between 201 and 300, whereas those under stage II are enforced when the index ranges between 301 and 400. Stage III is invoked when the index lies between 401 and 450, and Stage IV is implemented when the index reading crosses 450.

 

On Nov. 18, the top court had directed that stage IV restrictions would remain in force in the capital till further orders, even if the Air Quality Index fell below 450. Thursday was the first time since Nov. 18 that the court has relaxed the stage IV curbs. The court was hearing a case relating to rising air pollution in Delhi. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board, the 24-hour average Air Quality Index for Delhi was 165, in the moderate category, as of 1600 IST.  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Rajeev Pai

 

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