The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to relax emergency measures under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to deal with air pollution in the national capital, ordering it to continue till December 2.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih said the second report submitted by the court commissioners showed an "abject failure" of authorities in implementing the GRAP IV curbs in letter and spirit.
"We make it clear that all GRAP IV measures except the measures which are modified in respect of the schools will continue to operate till Monday. In the meantime, Commission for Air Quality Management will hold a meeting and come out with the suggestion about moving from GRAP IV to GRAP III or GRAP II. We also make it clear that it is not necessary that all measures which are provided in GRAP IV should be dispensed with," the bench said.
Action against officials for a "serious lapse" in ensuring the GRAP-IV curbs needed to be expedited, it added.
The bench