The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the suspension of all physical classes for students up to grade 12 in the National Capital Region (NCR). The Bench, comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, expressed serious concern over the delay in implementing key measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
The Court directed all NCR governments to immediately enforce Stage IV measures of GRAP, citing the severe Air Quality Index (AQI) levels. It clarified that Stage IV measures will remain in place until further notice, even if the AQI falls below the critical threshold of 450.
“A Constitutional Obligation”
“We shall examine compliance to our order then. It is the constitutional obligation of States and Centre that citizens live in a pollution-free environment,” the Bench emphasized in its order.
The directive follows a plea by Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who highlighted the plight of students in grades 10 and 12 attending physical classes amid hazardous air conditions. Responding swiftly, the Court mandated all states in the NCR to suspend physical classes across all standards up to grade 12.
Criticism of Delayed Action
The Bench did not mince words in criticizing the Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) approach to tackling pollution. It noted that the Commission delayed implementing GRAP Stages III and IV, despite clear guidelines from a 2018 Supreme Court order mandating preventive action.
“From submissions made at the bar, we find that the approach adopted by the sub-committee of the commission is contrary to para 3 of the October 29, 2018 order which directed preventive steps,” the Court observed. “The Commission cannot wait for the improvement of AQI.”
Monitoring Teams and Compliance Reports
The Court also called for the formation of monitoring teams to oversee the strict enforcement of Stage IV measures. It directed the Central and State governments to submit compliance affidavits by Thursday, November 21.
The matter is scheduled for further hearing on November 22, when the Court will examine the extent of compliance with its orders.
This ruling comes as the capital battles some of the worst air quality levels in recent years, with AQI consistently breaching the “severe” category, posing serious health risks to residents.
