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GRAP 4 and Supreme Court
Context:
The Supreme Court highlighted a complete lack of coordination among government agencies, civic bodies, and the police in implementing restrictions under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to combat air pollution in Delhi.
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- The court decided to defer a decision on relaxing these restrictions until Thursday to ensure a sustained downward trend in air pollution levels.
- A bench headed by Justice Abhay S. Oka stated, “On Thursday, we will examine the air quality index (AQI) levels to determine whether there is indeed a steady decline.” The court has scheduled the matter for December 5.
CAQM’s Report and Stage 4 Restrictions
- The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) submitted a report seeking the scaling down of restrictions from GRAP Stage 4 to Stage 2, citing an AQI of 285 (categorised as “poor”) on December 1.
- This marked a significant improvement after the AQI had remained in the “very poor” (300+) or “severe” (400+) categories for 32 consecutive days.
Stage 4 restrictions, imposed since November 18, include:
- A complete ban on construction and demolition activities.
- A ban on the entry of trucks and light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi.
- A ban on BS-4 or lower medium and heavy goods vehicles.
Stage 2 measures are preventive and include:
- Mechanical road sweeping and sprinkling.
- Dust control measures.
- Focused actions at pollution hotspots.
- Enhancing CNG, electric vehicle, and Metro services.
Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)
It is a set of emergency measures implemented in the National Capital Region (NCR) of India to combat air pollution, particularly during periods of severe air quality deterioration. Developed by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), GRAP establishes a systematic approach to address air pollution based on the Air Quality Index (AQI) levels.
Key Features of GRAP
- Phased Approach: GRAP consists of several stages, each triggered by specific AQI thresholds. As air quality worsens, stricter measures are enforced.
- Enforcement Measures: Under GRAP, various actions are taken depending on the severity of pollution.
- Monitoring and Compliance: The plan requires ongoing monitoring of air quality and compliance with the implemented measures. Authorities are tasked with ensuring that restrictions are effectively enforced.
