Supreme Court refuses to relax air pollution measures in Delhi until AQI levels decrease, seeks accountability from NCR states.

BS-3 petrol and BS-4 diesel vehicles have been barred from plying in Delhi since first week of November amid spike in pollution levels.

The Supreme Court says it will examine the Air Quality Index again on December 5 to see if there is any downward trend in the air pollution levels in Delhi.

The Supreme Court on Monday stressed on finding a permanent solution to the issue of air pollution in the Delhi-National Capital Region, saying a similar

The Supreme Court refused to relax emergency measures under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

The Supreme Court of India has dismissed a plea for relaxation of GRAP-IV measures for air pollution in Delhi, emphasizing that such requests will only be considered if pollution levels show a consistent decline.

Whatever the causes of the smog, by one ranking Delhi was not just the most polluted city in the world, but “nearly five times as bad as the second most polluted city, Dhaka,” in Bangladesh next door, as Shashi Tharoor, a leader of the opposition in Parliament and best-selling author, posted on X.

Delhi’s air quality remains in the very poor category with an AQI of 316. Several areas reported AQI above 300, prompting concerns from residents about health impacts and the need for government action to address pollution.

The Supreme Court criticized NCR states for failing to compensate construction workers affected by Delhi's air pollution, ordering chief secretaries to provide proof of payment. The court emphasized the need for accountability and better coordination among pollution management authorities.

The bench also asked chief secretaries of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana to appear via video-conferencing at 3.30 pm on Thursday.

The Supreme Court has summoned the chief secretaries of NCR states, including Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, to appear via video conferencing at 3.30 pm on December 5.