Delhi Air Pollution - Live Updates From Supreme Court Hearing

J Oka: Is clause 8 of GRAP IV made mandatory? Additional emergency measures like closer of colleges etc.

Bhati: for schools we have made it mandatory. Discontinued all physical classes for Gurugram Faridabad, Gaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar in addition to NCR.

Sankarnarayanan: this is the official Delhi Pollution Control Committee for Delhi figure.

J Oka: we are not going to hear individual lawyers on what is today's AQI. We will go by the formula which is applied.

Sankarnarayanan: I am talking about the measures taken. Once certain stringent measures are brought, would your lordships then consider at some stage either realising that these measures are not enough clearly because they are not taking care of this situation. Before dilution of any measures monitoring has to be there.

J Oka: What about children you don't have internet in their house.

Sankarnarayanan: it also applies to drivers and cleaners of trucks coming and construction workers etc.

J Oka: you are arguing as if we are going to relax the measures right now.

Bhati: yesterday we were at GRAP stage 2 (as per AQI). Today so far it is about 324.

Sankarnarayanan: it was about 500 in the south...

Bhati: We take the average of 4:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. as AQI for the city.

Bhati reads out the AQI figures.

Bhati: Central government has directed staggered running of office for all its employees. 

J Oka: we will direct Commission to issue show cause notice to all the agencies, take the response and prosecute them. Now show us the figures on AQI.

Senior Advocate Gopal Sankarnarayanan: the CAQM has not given any direction to the police. GRAP IV SAID NO ENTRY TO Trucks IN DELHI BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE DELHI BECAUSE CAQM COVERS 28 DISTRICTS Across NCR STATES.

J Oka: why only at 23? This is negligence that it was done on only in 23 points. We will direct Commission to prosecute commissioner of Delhi under section 14 caqm Act.

Bhati: only 10 of these roads are more than 2 lane roads. The truck entry is not allowed there.

J Oka: that's a difference between saying it is not allowed and somebody sitting there and monitoring it. You duty was to post people there and see that not even a single truck enters. On 23 entry points the moment they say police they will naturally take some other route.

Amicus: the trucks didn't know that they were not supposed to enter Delhi.

J Oka: After 18 November was there any written order directing police to station permanently at the checkpoints? What steps Delhi government took to inform the people stationed at 13 entry points to stop entry of trucks?

ASG Aishwarya Bhati: orders were given we don't have copy right now.

J Oka: we want to record a statement. Tell us whether there was any order issued for posting policemen at these check posts 24/7 for implementing the order.

Bhati: orders we should for deploying at 23 major checkpoints. Order is not here right now but we have details of action taken.

J Oka: show us order constituting teams at all 113 entry points.

Senior Advocate Shadan Farasat for Delhi government: there were three to four different levels of manning. Delhi Police municipal corporation staff, civil defence volunteers. 

Counsel: checking was happening but not effectively. In some check posts the vehicles were being stopped from the other side from Haryana etc. They were no personnel from Delhi government transportation department. They were no barricades, police were jumping in the middle of the road to stop trucks

J Oka: How many checkposts were checked?

Counsel: 83.

Amicus Aparajita Singh: personnel in many posts were deployed after the court order. There is no clarity on directions among the personnel.