- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to broaden its examination of air pollution to include other cities in India during a hearing scheduled for Thursday. A Bench led by Justice Abhay S. Oka has requested information from the Central government regarding the most polluted cities in the country, indicating a phased approach to tackling the issue.
This follows a session held on December 16, where Justices A.S. Oka and A.G. Masih monitored the pollution crisis in Delhi, highlighting the city’s non-compliance with the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules of 2016. The Bench cautioned the Delhi government about possible contempt proceedings for failing to comply and summoned the Chief Secretary of Delhi to provide an explanation.
In response to the worsening air quality in Delhi and surrounding areas such as Noida, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh, and Gurugram and Faridabad in Haryana, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) reinstated Stage-IV restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) late Monday night. The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the region exceeded 400, prompting the implementation of stringent measures to address the severe pollution.
According to a statement from CAQM, the Stage-IV measures, issued on December 13, 2024, under the Supreme Court’s directives, include suspending construction and demolition activities, limiting non-essential industrial operations, and enhancing traffic management. These actions are in addition to ongoing measures from Stages III, II, and I of GRAP.
The Supreme Court has previously mandated Stage-III measures when the AQI exceeds 350 and Stage-IV measures when it surpasses 400. Despite earlier Stage-III measures, pollution levels deteriorated due to unfavorable weather conditions, including a lower mixing layer height and calm winds.
The Delhi NCR region often experiences poor air quality during winter, primarily due to local emissions, stubble burning, and adverse weather. Authorities have advised residents to reduce outdoor activities and use public transport to help decrease emissions.
