No plan shall be operative pursuant to this article unless approved by the court and consented to as required by this article during the emergency period, which period, for the purposes of this article, shall commence with the effective date of this article and shall expire April 1, 1939, or at such earlier date as the commissioner shall find and declare that such emergency period has terminated; provided, however, that if, prior to the expiration or termination of said emergency period, such plan shall have been approved by the superior court, and shall have been consented to as required by this article, such plan shall become operative unless such approval be set aside on appeal, notwithstanding the fact that such approval of the superior court was not final at the expiration or termination of such emergency period.