The Supreme Court announced on Friday that GRAP-IV, the fourth stage of anti-pollution measures for Delhi and the National Capital Region, will remain in effect for the next 72 hours. The air quality index (AQI) in the city and surrounding areas remained at 371 this morning, still within the 'very poor' category.
The court also emphasized its intention to oversee any potential reduction in the levels of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Justice Abhay S. Oka stated, "What we are suggesting is this... on Monday, we will review the Delhi government's compliance with our orders and then decide whether to reduce the level from GRAP-IV to GRAP-II."
The court also suggested that the government deploy police personnel at the 113 checkpoints along the city’s borders to monitor the entry of trucks into the National Capital Region. Under GRAP-IV, trucks and commercial vehicles carrying non-essential goods and services are prohibited from entering the capital, but concerns have been raised regarding the enforcement of this ban.
The court asked, "Tell us how the Delhi government is preventing the entry of trucks? We want a team of experts to monitor the entry of trucks into the NCR, and based on that, we will make a decision."
The court dismissed the Delhi government's claim that it had already taken action to prevent truck entry, calling it "arbitrary." It observed, "This is meaningless if you're not providing the list of the entry points. It cannot be verified."
(Source: NDTV)
BD-Pratidin English/Mazdud
