The Supreme Court has extended GRAP-4 air pollution curbs to stage 2 and urged the Centre to appoint top experts to the Commission for Air Quality Management, avoiding retired judges. Additionally, the Delhi government announced a firecracker ban until January, aiming to reduce pollution. The court also monitored compensation for impacted construction workers and scheduled follow-up hearings.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday extended the relaxation of the GRAP-4 curbs, which are typically enforced during severe air pollution levels, to stage 2 until further orders. This decision was made by a bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih, as part of ongoing efforts to tackle air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region.
The bench urged the Centre to consider appointing top experts from fields such as environment and agriculture to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), potentially in an advisory capacity. The court emphasized that these experts would provide valuable insight, helping to improve the commission’s effectiveness in managing air quality. It also made it clear that no retired judges should be appointed to the CAQM due to potential conflicts of interest. “We want top experts of different fields to be there in the CAQM. We don’t want any retired judges to be there,” the bench stated.
In another significant move, the Delhi government informed the bench that it had imposed a ban on firecrackers until January, with plans to introduce a round-the-year ban. The court directed the NCR states to present their decisions on enforcing this extended firecracker ban. The ban would encompass the sale, manufacture, storage, and use of firecrackers, aimed at curbing both air and noise pollution. The Supreme Court also indicated that it would continue to monitor this issue closely.
The bench further instructed Delhi and NCR states to ensure the payment of subsistence allowances to construction workers impacted by air pollution curbs from November 18 to December 5. Senior advocate Shadan Farasat shared that 90,000 workers had already received Rs 8,000 each, with an additional 20,000 workers coming forward for registration. The bench ordered the states to file a compliance affidavit by January 3, 2025 and assured continued oversight to ensure all eligible workers are compensated.
The court allowed the CAQM to implement additional measures, such as mechanised road sweeping and controlled traffic movement, which were part of stage-3 of the GRAP but now incorporated into stage-2. The bench also scheduled a hearing on December 19, to discuss timelines for addressing issues related to the firecracker ban, solid waste management, and other pollution control measures.
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As Delhi-NCR’s air quality showed improvement on December 5, the court reiterated that stringent measures would be reintroduced if pollution levels spiked, with stage-3 curbs if the AQI exceeds 350 and stage-4 curbs for levels above 400.
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