NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the relaxation of GRAP-4 (Graded Response Action Plan) measures for Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), permitting the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to implement GRAP-2 measures to manage the region’s pollution levels.
The court however said that GRAP-4 has to be enforced immediately whenever AQI level crosses 400.
The court also expressed discontent over the delayed compensation for construction workers, who have been adversely affected by the ban on construction activities due to high pollution levels.
The Delhi Chief Secretary was threatened with contempt proceedings after the government paid only Rs 2,000 to each of the 90,000 registered workers, far short of the Rs 8,000 promised to them. The Chief Secretary assured the court that the remaining Rs 6,000 would be disbursed by the following day.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih questioned why the full compensation had not been paid, despite clear instructions from the top court.
“Why? When will you pay the balance amount? They are verified, that is why they were paid Rs 2000? You want workers to starve? We are straightaway issuing contempt notice to you, this is not done. This is a welfare State,” Justice Oka said, according to the Bar and Bench.
SC had earlier declined to ease the emergency measures under GRAP-4, which included a ban on truck entry and construction work, until there was a “downward trend” in the Air Quality Index (AQI). The court had also noted that none of the NCR states—Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh—had complied with its earlier directions regarding compensation to construction workers.
The bench had also expressed dissatisfaction with the enforcement of GRAP-4 measures, highlighting that the ban on truck entry and construction activities was not being effectively carried out.
