Deliberating on the issue of sections of society affected by restrictions under the fourth stage of the GRAP – like labourers and daily wage workers involved in construction activity – it said all states must use funds collected as labour cess to provide subsistence to them.

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to relax the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-IV measures aimed at curbing severe air pollution in Delhi. The Court asked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the national capital region and adjoining areas to consider restarting physical classes in schools and colleges noting many

Without being “satisfied that there is a consistent downward trend of AQI, we cannot permit the Commission to go down to stage 3 or stage 2,” the Supreme Court bench said on GRAP measures.

The Supreme Court also observed that the Delhi government did not properly follow Group 4 guidelines between November 18 and 23. The court said that appropriate steps were not taken to stop trucks from coming to Delhi.

On Monday morning, Anand Vihar reported an AQI of 334, Ashok Vihar at 312, Bawana at 322, Chandni Chowk at 244, Dwarka at 297, IGI Airport at 260, Jahangirpuri at 323, Mundka at 340, Narela at 311, Patparganj at 287,

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.

NCR, the Supreme Court on Monday stated that Grap 4 restrictions will remain in place until the court is convinced that pollution levels are decreasing in the region. The court also directed states within the NCR to utilise funds collected as labour cess to provide livelihoods for workers during the

The Supreme Court upheld GRAP-4 restrictions, directing states to utilise labour cess for worker support during the construction ban. It criticized the Delhi government's non-compliance with truck entry restrictions and instructed CAQM to take action.

Schools across Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad remained closed due to hazardous air pollution on Monday. Online classes continue while authorities continue to monitor AQI levels. The Air Quality Index (AQI) indicated some improvement on Monday and is anticipated to get better in the days ahead.

Schools in Delhi remain closed due to poor air quality, as no further notice has been issued regarding their reopening. The suspension of physical classes, which includes Class X and XII students, follows a government directive in response to hazardous AQI levels.