Strict Anti-Pollution Measures In Delhi To Continue For At Least 3 More Days

GRAP-IV, or the fourth stage of anti-pollution measures in effect for Delhi and the National Capital Region, will remain in force for the next 72 hours, the Supreme Court said Friday, with the AQI in the city and surrounding areas at 371, or still in the 'very poor' category, this morning.

The court also underlined its intention to retain control of dropping down a level, or even two, in the GRAP, or Graded Response Action Plan, hierarchy; Justice Abhay S Oka said, "What we are suggesting is this... on Monday we will examine compliance (of its orders by the Delhi government)... and then we will consider whether to bring it down from GRAP-IV to GRAP-II."

Further, the court also proposed the government post police personnel at the 113 checkpoints on the city's borders to monitor entry of trucks into the national capital region. Under GRAP-IV trucks and commercial vehicles carrying non-essential goods and services are banned from entering the capital, but questions have been raised about the enforcement of this ban.

The court said, "Tell us how you (the Delhi government) are stopping entry of trucks? We want a team of experts to monitor entry of trucks into the NCR and then we will take a call."

It dismissed as "arbitrary" the Delhi government's plea it had, in fact, done just that, observing, "This is meaningless if you're not providing the list of the entry points. It cannot be verified."