5.2 C
New York
Sunday, December 8, 2024
HomeIndia NewsIndian top court censures Delhi government over pollution control delays

Indian top court censures Delhi government over pollution control delays

Date:

Related stories

Former Supreme Court judge Rohinton Nariman criticizes 2019 Ayodhya Verdict

Former Supreme Court judge Justice Rohinton F. Nariman has...

Cyclone Fengal death toll reaches 20 across Sri Lanka and India

Cyclone Fengal, which caused heavy rains and flooding in...

Clashes over mosque survey in Uttar Pradesh: Death toll reaches four

Violence erupted in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday as...

Security tightened in Ayodhya after threat to Ram Temple by pro-Khalistan leader

In response to an alleged threat by pro-Khalistan leader...

Eleven militants killed in Manipur gunfight, CRPF personnel injured

A gunfight between security forces and militants in Manipur’s...

Delhi’s pollution levels worsened Monday, with an AQI of 484 placing the city in the ‘severe plus’ category. The Supreme Court criticized the delay in implementing Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which came into effect Monday morning, and underscored that scaling down these measures would require its explicit approval.

image 1
People walk to their office amid low visibility due to smog as air quality remains in the severe category in New Delhi on Monday, November 18, 2024. (PTI Photo/Shahbaz Khan)

“How can you take risks in these matters by delaying applicability of Stage 4 of GRAP?” the court questioned, reiterating that preventive measures must remain until further orders. Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih called for an explanation from the Delhi government regarding its actions to combat the crisis.

 

The CAQM’s Stage 4 measures include a ban on non-essential trucks and construction activities. It also advised NCR offices to operate at 50% capacity, with the rest working from home. Schools in Delhi moved most classes online, except for Grades 10 and 12.

 

- Advertisement -

Low visibility caused by dense smog disrupted flight operations at Delhi airport, leading to the diversion of 11 flights. Officials noted that a lack of CAT III-trained pilots further compounded the issue. The Delhi government stated that the measures were now in place but faced scrutiny for the delay.

 

The GRAP framework, implemented since 2017, categorizes air quality into four stages, with Stage 4 triggered when AQI exceeds 450. The national capital saw worsening conditions as AQI levels rose from 441 on Sunday evening to 484 by Monday morning, leading to severe impacts on public health and infrastructure.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

Latest stories