SC Suggests Online Schooling as Delhi-NCR Faces Severe Air Pollution

Delhi-NCR Faces Severe Air Pollution: Supreme Court on Monday said that all NCR states must take an immediate call to put an end to the physical classes of all standards up to class 12.

Going further, the apex court directed all NCR governments to take a call on steps provided in GRAP-IV and place them before it before the next date of hearing.

It also directed the government to establish a grievance redressal mechanism for reporting violations of the step.

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What is GRAP-IV

Commission for Air Quality Management in Delhi-NCR has put on record the Stage-lV ('Severe+' Air Quality) actions of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) revivified, while the already-existing Stage-I, II and III activities will also be implemented to combat rising pollution menace in the national capital.

CAQM said that the air quality index was 441 (Severe) in the national capital around 4 p.m. Sunday. The AQI reported 447, 452, and 457 at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 7 p.m. on Sunday respectively, which says that it had been rising steadily further and has now entered the Severe+ category.

The four stages of Delhi air quality as classified in the National Capital Region (NCR) Graded Response Action Plan or GRAP are: Stage I is "poor" or 201-300 AQI; Stage II is "very poor" or AQI 301-400; Stage III is "severe" or 401-450 AQI; and Stage IV is "severe plus," or AQI > 450.

A stage of the Stage-IV response is an eight-point action plan intended to reduce the pollution situation. One of the main steps is to completely ban nonessential truck traffic entering Delhi except those carrying necessities or rendering services deemed essential.

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Grap 4 restriction: what's allowed and what's not

1. Even for classes VI–IX and XI, the NCR State Governments and GNCTD may decide to stop holding in-person classes and instead teach online.

2. NCR State Governments/GNCTD will decide whether to permit 50% of employees in governmental, municipal, and private offices to work from home.

3. GRAP Stage 4 entails ban on diesel-run medium, heavy goods vehicles registered in Delhi (BS-IV or below), except those carrying essentials.

4. The entry of trucks at Delhi shall be prohibited Except carrying essential goods, services; LNG, CNG, electric, BS-VI diesel trucks allowed CAQM.

5. Prohibit the entry of trucks to Delhi except in cases where necessary are being brought in or service is being rendered; all trucks are permitted for entry into Delhi Lng, Cng, electric, BS-VI diesel.

6. Absolute ban on C & D activities, as in GRAP Stage 3, also for linear public projects like highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission, pipelines, etc.

7. State government may even resort to further emergency measures such as closing of colleges/educational institutions and closure of non-essential commercial activities, permission to run vehicles, odd-even basis of registration numbers etc.

8. The Central Government has the discretion to decide whether it would allow its employees to work from home.

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