In a fresh hearing on Delhi’s escalating air pollution crisis, the Supreme Court has raised concerns about lapses in implementing Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The court has called on the Delhi government and city police to provide a detailed report on whether heavy vehicles have been allowed into the capital despite the ongoing ban.
The hearing, held on Friday, November 22, follows the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching severe-plus levels, which required the implementation of strict pollution-control measures, including halting truck entry into Delhi and suspending construction activities on public projects. The court pointed out that authorities had failed to fully enforce the truck entry ban under GRAP Stage 4.
To verify the situation, the Supreme Court instructed the authorities to provide CCTV footage from all 13 major entry points into Delhi. This footage will help determine whether trucks and light commercial vehicles (LCVs) from outside the city, carrying non-essential goods, were indeed prevented from entering the capital. The court has appointed 13 lawyers to visit these points and submit a report by November 25.
The Supreme Court’s bench, comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, expressed its skepticism regarding the effectiveness of the truck entry ban. “It is very difficult for us to assume that the entry of trucks in Delhi has been stopped,” the bench remarked. They further suggested that the Centre deploy police personnel at each of the 13 checkpoints to monitor and enforce the entry restrictions more rigorously.
The Supreme Court’s hearing also followed a surge in pollution levels earlier this week, when Delhi’s AQI spiked to 457 on Sunday evening and continued to worsen by Monday morning, reaching the “severe-plus” category with a reading of 485. The court reiterated that GRAP Stage 4 measures would remain in place until the AQI fell below 450.
In its previous hearing on November 18, the court had emphasized the constitutional duty of all states to ensure citizens live in a pollution-free environment. The court had also criticized the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for delaying the implementation of GRAP, stating that the Commission’s approach of waiting for AQI levels to improve before enforcing the measures was misguided.
“It is the duty of the Commission to start the implementation of GRAP Stage 3 and Stage 4 in anticipation of AQI crossing the threshold limit. Delaying such actions is a completely wrong approach,” the bench concluded.
The Supreme Court’s intervention highlights the growing urgency in tackling Delhi’s pollution crisis, as experts and citizens continue to voice concerns about the severe impact on public health, particularly during the winter months when pollution levels tend to peak. The court’s decision to monitor the entry of heavy vehicles into Delhi is one of several measures being taken to address the rising pollution levels in the National Capital Region (NCR).
The matter is set to be heard again on Monday, November 25, with the authorities required to submit their findings and action reports.
Sources By Agencies
