The Supreme Court on Monday 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 students lacked mid-day meals and infrastructure to attend online classes.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George
Masih said a large number of students did not have air purifiers at home and
therefore there may not be a difference between children at home and those
attending schools.
The top court, however, refused to relax the
anti-pollution GRAP-4 restrictions in Delhi-NCR and said unless it was
satisfied that there was consistent decrease in AQI levels, it cannot order
curbs below GRAP-3 or GRAP-2.
Noting that several sections of society, especially
labourers and daily wagers, were adversely affected due to GRAP-4, the bench
directed the state governments, where construction has been banned, to use
funds collected as labour cess for subsistence to them.
GRAP-4 restrictions specifically relate to
restricting entry of trucks carrying non-essential goods into the national
capital.
First implemented in 2017, the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was a
set of anti-air pollution measures followed in the capital and its vicinity
according to the severity of the situation.