Supreme Court Mandates Strict Enforcement of GRAP-IV in Delhi-NCR
Why focus: SC GRAP-IV enforcement — GS3 Environment, tests CAQM Act 2021 statutory powers and exact AQI thresholds
In News
What Happened
Why It Matters
Background
History & Context
What Changed
- ▶
BEFORE: The CAQM had the administrative discretion to scale down or lift GRAP stages if the AQI improved below the defined threshold levels. NOW: No scaling down of GRAP Stage IV measures is permitted without prior, explicit approval from the Supreme Court, regardless of AQI improvements.
- ▶
BEFORE: State governments and the CAQM often waited for the AQI to sustain a 'severe plus' level (AQI > 450) over several days before fully initiating Stage IV measures. NOW: Stage IV measures must be triggered immediately and preemptively the moment the AQI breaches the 450 mark, with no room for delay.
- ▶
BEFORE: Enforcement of anti-pollution measures largely relied on administrative coordination between Delhi and neighboring NCR states, which often resulted in blame-shifting. NOW: The Supreme Court has taken direct supervisory control, placing individual accountability on NCR state governments to set up rapid response monitoring mechanisms.
Prelims Angle
NCERT Connection
Practice Questions
Q1
Correct Statement(s)Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and its implementation in Delhi-NCR? 1. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is the statutory body responsible for coordinating and implementing GRAP in the National Capital Region. 2. According to the November 2024 Supreme Court order, GRAP Stage IV measures can be independently scaled down by the CAQM if the AQI temporarily falls below 400.