Delhi's air in 'poor' category with AQI of 274; SC retains Grap-IV measures

Despite Delhi's AQI improving to 274, the Supreme Court said that it will retain Grap-IV restrictions, citing the need for a sustained downward trend in air pollution levels

Delhi witnessed a slight improvement in air quality as its Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the “poor” category on Tuesday, with a 24-hour average of 274 recorded at 8 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This marked an improvement from Sunday’s AQI of 285 and was the third consecutive day the city’s air quality stayed below 300—a benchmark it had struggled to achieve for over a month.

 

Despite this modest improvement, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled that restrictions under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) will remain in force.

 

The CPCB categorises AQI levels as follows: “good” (0-50), “satisfactory” (51-100), “moderate” (101-200), “poor” (201-300), “very poor” (301-400), and “severe” (above 400). Sunday’s AQI reading of 285, while still in the “poor” range, provided some relief after over a month of “very poor” and “severe” air quality conditions.

SC refuses relaxation under Grap-IV

The Supreme Court on Monday emphasised the need for a consistent downward trend in AQI levels before relaxing emergency measures. It scheduled a hearing for December 5 to review the situation.

 

“There is hardly any implementation of Stage 4 of Grap to deal with air pollution in the national capital,” the Bench remarked. It also questioned the Delhi government on the number of officers deployed to enforce the restrictions.

 

A Bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih directed the Chief Secretaries of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to attend a virtual hearing on Thursday. The apex court sought updates on whether compensation had been provided to construction workers affected by the restrictions and expressed concern over the lack of effective implementation, particularly in controlling the entry of trucks into Delhi.