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As Delhi’s air quality plummeted further in the ‘Severe’ category to reach 484 on the air quality index (AQI) on Monday (18 November) morning, the Supreme Court took up the air pollution matter.
The bench of Justices AS Oka and AG Masih questioned, “Why was the GRAP mechanism not invoked?” GRAP is a graded response action plan, divided into various phases of restrictions to be implemented.
“The moment it (AQI) reaches 300 to 400 GRAP has to be invoked. How can you take risk in such matters of delaying applicability of GRAP?” Justice Oka questioned the implementation of GRAP 3 on 13 November.
The counsel representing the Delhi government, advocate Jyoti Mendiratta, said that stage 4 of GRAP has been invoked today and entry of drugs and other goods vehicles are banned.
Responding to this, Justice Oka directed the Delhi government not to go below stage 3 without the court’s permission. “Even if AQI goes below 450 stage four will continue, that’s the order we propose to pass,” he said.