‘In Delhi, pay for clean air with 18% GST’: X user amid ‘severe plus’ AQI

Delhi’s air quality stayed in the ‘severe plus’ category for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, with thick smog reducing visibility and pushing air pollution levels to alarmingly high levels. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 488 at 8 am, placing the city in the hazardous ‘severe plus’ category.
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Meanwhile, a user on X voiced that clean air is a fundamental human right.
A user named ‘Ray’ said in a post on X, “Clean air is a Fundamental human right. But in Delhi, you have to pay for it, too, with an additional 18% GST. It’s time to learn Kannada and permanently settle in Bengaluru, where AQI ranges 60-80. ”
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The Supreme Court on Monday directed Delhi and NCR states to rigorously implement Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)When air quality becomes severe, restrictions under GRAP Stages III and IV are enforced Stage IV anti-pollution measures, as the Air Quality Index (AQI) remains in the “severe” category. A bench led by Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih also instructed the states to form teams to monitor compliance with the measures. The court further ordered the continuation of GRAP Stage IV actions, even if the AQI falls below 450, and mandated that all NCR states and the central government file compliance affidavits.
This decision followed a sharp rise in Delhi’s daily average AQI to 441 by 4 pm on Sunday, escalating further to 457 by 7 pm, prompting an emergency meeting of the GRAP Sub-Committee.
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GRAP is a set of anti-air pollution measures implemented in the national capital and its surrounding areas based on the severity of the situation. Restrictions under GRAP Stages III and IV are enforced when air quality becomes severe.
Air quality has deteriorated in several cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, and parts of northern India, reaching severe levels and raising concerns about health risks.
(With inputs from ANI)