The Supreme Court has approved the easing of the highest levels of air pollution controls in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) following a noticeable improvement in air quality. On Friday, the court authorized the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to downgrade from the stringent GRAP-4 (Graded Response Action Plan) measures to the less severe stage 2 restrictions.
Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih presided over the decision, suggesting that CAQM integrate certain aspects of the GRAP-3 measures into the stage-2 restrictions. This decision comes after a period where the air quality index (AQI) consistently remained below 300 for four consecutive days, indicating a substantial improvement from previous weeks.
The court specified that if the AQI surpasses 350, stage 3 curbs will be reinstated, and if it exceeds 400, the most severe stage-4 restrictions will be reactivated. The AQI is a scale used to communicate how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become. According to the scale, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”; 51 to 100 “satisfactory”; 101 to 200 “moderate”; 201 to 300 “poor”; 301 to 400 “very poor”; and 401 to 500 “severe.”
This adaptive approach by the CAQM and the Supreme Court aims to balance public health concerns with the economic impacts of stringent pollution controls, especially those affecting industries and construction sectors heavily regulated under the higher stages of the GRAP.
