Delhi Chokes: Supreme Court Rejects Year-Round Ban, Calls For Long-Term Pollution Fix
The Supreme Court said Delhi’s air pollution needs a long-term solution and refused to impose year-round restrictions on activities banned under GRAP, according to PTI.
The court directed Punjab and Haryana to strictly follow the Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) instructions on stubble burning, as per PTI.
The bench asked both states to hold a joint meeting and ensure CAQM’s suggestions are fully implemented, PTI reported.
The judges observed that several previous orders have not solved the pollution crisis, and temporary steps are not enough, according to PTI.
The bench said a long-term, consistent plan is necessary to address pollution in Delhi-NCR, as per the PTI report.
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Amicus curiae Aprajita Singh told the court that even though Punjab’s affidavit claims stubble burning incidents have reduced, pollution levels have not shown improvement.
The bench noted submissions that Delhi has “become a gas chamber,” but declined to impose blanket year-round bans on all GRAP activities, as per PTI.
The court said the expert-designed GRAP system is based on scientific data and affects the livelihoods of many people.
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The Supreme Court asked the Union environment ministry, along with Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, to work together on a long-term strategy.
The court also asked the Delhi government to file an affidavit explaining the accuracy of its AQI monitoring equipment after reports claimed that water was sprayed around monitoring stations. Videos and news articles highlighted these concerns, PTI reported.
GRAP is a graded system that imposes different restrictions based on the severity of the Air Quality Index (AQI).
The bench said that only long-term and coordinated efforts can provide a sustainable solution.
