A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih stated that the second report submitted by court commissioners highlighted a “complete failure” by authorities in properly implementing the GRAP IV restrictions.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday (28th Nov) declined to ease emergency measures under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) aimed at addressing air pollution in Delhi, ordering the measures to remain in effect until December 2.
A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih stated that the second report submitted by court commissioners highlighted a “complete failure” by authorities in properly implementing the GRAP IV restrictions.
The bench clarified that all GRAP IV measures, except those related to schools, would continue until Monday. In the interim, the Commission for Air Quality Management is expected to hold a meeting and suggest a shift from GRAP IV to GRAP III or GRAP II. However, it was emphasized that not all GRAP IV measures need to be eliminated.
The bench also called for swift action against officials for their “serious lapse” in enforcing the GRAP-IV restrictions.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati defended the government’s efforts, noting that the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had directed neighboring states to manage traffic heading towards Delhi.
She also emphasized the importance of ongoing AQI data monitoring:
“Comprehensive AQI data for Delhi has been shared since 2018. The city’s AQI levels will play a critical role in shaping GRAP implementation measures.”
The court noted a media report from Punjab where a land record officer and the president of the Sangrur Block Patwari Union allegedly advised farmers to burn stubble after 4 PM to evade satellite detection. While the court did not comment on the accuracy of the report, it stressed that such actions, if true, were highly concerning. The Punjab government was urged to issue immediate instructions to prevent such activities.
The court remarked,
“We are not commenting on the accuracy of the news, but if it is true, it is a very serious matter. Punjab state officials must not allow any farmer to exploit the fact that certain activities are only detected during specific hours of the day. The Punjab government must immediately instruct all officers to refrain from engaging in such actions.”
Details of GRAP-IV Measures:
GRAP-IV includes specific restrictions such as limiting the entry of trucks carrying non-essential goods into Delhi to curb vehicular pollution.
Introduced in 2017, GRAP is a tiered system of anti-pollution measures implemented in the National Capital Region based on the severity of air pollution. GRAP-IV represents the highest level of restrictions, designed to mitigate the adverse public health effects of hazardous air quality.
