Delhi Air Pollution: SC refuses to relax GRAP IV measures, next hearing on December 5

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed concern over the inadequate implementation of Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the national capital region to combat severe air pollution. The top court bench said it will not give a green light to relax the GRAP IV measures until all parties are heard on December 5.

The court observed that despite the alarming air quality levels, there has been a lack of serious enforcement of measures outlined under GRAP Stage IV, which is triggered when air quality deteriorates to hazardous levels.

"There is hardly any implementation of GRAP Stage 4 to deal with air pollution in national capital," the top court said.


A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih further asked the chief secretaries of NCR states, including Delhi, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan, to appear virtually to convey to the court if compensations are being paid to construction workers.

In its earlier hearing on Thursday, the Supreme Court had also criticised authorities for poor implementation of stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap).

"We make it clear that all Grap-IV measures except for schools shall be continued till Monday," a division bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih ordered.

The bench said it intends to find a long-term solution to the crisis.

"What we propose to do is that we will hear the case exhaustively. We want to go to the root of the matter and issue detailed instructions," Justice Oka said. "Something has to be done. Every year this problem cannot arise. This has to be taken to its logical conclusion."

The court had taken strong note of the complete failure in stopping entry of trucks to Delhi in accordance with the restrictions in place under Grap-IV.

"There is complete failure. Police were nowhere in the picture. The trucks were allowed to enter the territory," Justice Oka observed verbally after perusing a compliance report submitted to the court. "Even today, Grap-IV is not being implemented. Openly construction is going on...nobody has bothered implementation," he added.

SC had also directed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to hold a meeting on easing the restrictions and make suggestions about moving to Grap-III or Grap-II. It is not necessary that all measures which are provided in Grap-IV should be dispensed with and there can be a combination of measures in Grap-III and Grap-II, the bench clarified.