The Supreme Court on Monday ruled out extreme measures such as year-round restrictions on activities prohibited under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) — a set of emergency measures to control pollution — to improve the Air Quality Index (AQI), saying it would affect people’s livelihood.

”A large chunk of the population depends on various activities for their livelihood in the capital... We agree with the amicus and the ASG that a long-term solution is needed to tackle the menace of pollution in a graded manner. For that a combined action by the MoEFCC (Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change) along with Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana officials, is needed,” a Bench led by CJI BR Gavai CJI said.

The court’s comments came after senior advocate Gopal Sankarnar

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