The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea seeking enforcement of measures to curb air pollution in Delhi. The national capital woke up to toxic air conditions on Sunday as the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded in the "severe" category. Later in the night, CAQM implemented actions under stage-lV ('Severe+' Air Quality) of the revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR from 8 AM of November 18, 2024 in the NCR.
Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 441 at 4 pm and rose to 457 by 7 pm due to unfavourable weather conditions. GRAP Stage 4 entails a ban on diesel-run medium, and heavy goods vehicles registered in Delhi (BS-IV or below), except those carrying essentials.
As per the cause list of November 18 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih is slated to hear the plea. On November 14, the top court had agreed to urgently list the plea after it was told that Delhi should not become the most polluted city in the world due to the rising pollution. The bench had agreed to list the matter after senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who has been assisting the apex court as an amicus curiae in the matter, requested for urgent hearing looking at the prevailing situation in Delhi.
READ | SC to hear today pleas seeking curbs to tackle air pollution as GRAP 4 imposed in Delhi
The amicus had told the bench that she had intimated the Commission of Air Quality Management (CAQM) and they should explain the steps being taken to curb pollution. On November 11, the top court had taken serious note of the violation of its firecrackers ban order on Diwali, and observed that no religion encourages any activity that creates pollution.
It had asked the Delhi government to decide within a fortnight on extending the firecracker ban throughout the year. It had said the right to live in a pollution-free atmosphere was a fundamental right of every citizen, protected by Article 21 of the Constitution. The apex court is hearing a plea seeking directions to curb air pollution in the national capital and adjoining areas.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)
