SC Raps Delhi Government as Nation Capital Chokes Under Toxic Smog

The Supreme Court took strong umbrage with the Delhi government Monday, warning them against scaling down of preventive measures to curb the crippling air pollution in the national capital without its explicit permission.

In a stern notice, the Bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih warned that they won't allow any dilution of stringent measures under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) without their prior clearance.

Their ire was sparked by reports of delay in implementing Stage 4 despite the alarming Air Quality Index (AQI) levels reaching as high as 441 and 457, respectively, on Sunday afternoon. This was even before the Commission for Air Quality Management's announcement to introduce stricter pollution-control measures under GRAP-4 from Monday onwards.

Under this notification plan, heavy vehicles have been banned from entering Delhi, and non-essential light commercial vehicles registered outside the city are also suspended, except for those using clean fuels like LNG/CNG/BS-VI diesel/electric.