New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday instructed the Delhi government along with the governments in the NCR, to provide financial assistance to workers affected by the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) 4, implemented to combat Delhi’s severe air pollution. The court clearly directed the state governments to identify affected workers beyond just those registered on the portal and provide them with financial aid.

The Top court warned that failure to comply with its instructions would result in contempt of court action against state governments. The court has asked the states to file a response by January 5, over the status of compliance of the instructions.

In another development, the Supreme Court directed the governments in the NCR to form teams to monitor compliance with GRAP IV measures at entry points to Delhi. These teams will comprise police officers, revenue officials, and other department officials.

Regarding the ban on firecrackers, the Supreme Court instructed Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to implement a ban on the sale of firecrackers, as it has been implemented in Delhi. The Apex court stated that the ban on firecracker sales in Delhi will continue until further orders, with a review scheduled for January 2025.