Today, the Supreme Court has once again taken a stern view of the worsening air quality in the Delhi–NCR region, expressing dissatisfaction with the manner in which statutory authorities are dealing with a crisis that has persisted for years despite repeated judicial interventions.
The matter was considered by a Bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The proceedings arose from the Court’s continuing scrutiny of air pollution in the National Capital Region. During the hearing, the Court examined the role of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which has been entrusted with coordinating measures to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR. The Bench noted that, despite several years of regulatory action and judicial monitoring, air quality levels in the region remain consistently poor, and in some periods, have further deteriorated.
The Court highlighted a lack of consensus among expert institutions on identifying the primary contributors to air pollution. It observed that different technical bodies, including premier academic institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology, have attributed vastly different percentages to sources like transport emissions, industrial activity, and other pollution-generating sectors. By way of illustration, the Bench pointed out that estimates regarding the contribution of the transport sector to declining air quality ranged widely, reflecting an absence of uniform data assessment and coordinated expert analysis.
The Bench expressed strong displeasure with CAQM’s response to its earlier directions. Referring to a previous order requiring the authority to re-examine long-term remedial measures, the Court noted that CAQM had only placed a brief status note on record, which failed to address several core issues flagged by the Court.
The Court remarked that the authority appeared to lack urgency in both pinpointing the exact causes of deteriorating air quality and in formulating durable, long-term solutions. This, the Court observed, had effectively compelled repeated judicial intervention over the years. The Court also criticised affidavits filed by other stakeholders. It observed that civic bodies such as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had focused more on defending revenue-generating mechanisms like toll plazas rather than proposing pollution-control solutions. Similar concerns were expressed regarding the approach of infrastructure and transport authorities, who appeared to be more concerned with cost apportionment than environmental impact.
The Court took note of the suggestions placed on record by the amicus curiae, Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, which covered a broad range of pollution sources, including vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, power plants, construction and road dust, and the use of firecrackers.
The Bench emphasised that CAQM is duty-bound to bring together all relevant domain experts and arrive at a unified, data-driven assessment of pollution sources instead of relying on fragmented and inconsistent studies.
The Supreme Court directed CAQM to urgently convene a meeting of identified experts within two weeks. Based on sustained deliberations, the authority was asked to prepare a comprehensive report clearly identifying the principal contributors to air quality deterioration in Delhi-NCR.
The Court further ordered that the report be placed not only on the judicial record but also in the public domain, so as to promote transparency, public awareness, and informed participation. CAQM was also directed to simultaneously begin examining long-term remedial measures and to plan their phased implementation, prioritising action against the most significant sources of pollution. The issue of toll plazas in the NCR was directed to be reconsidered independently, without being influenced by the financial positions of concerned authorities. The Court made it clear that it would not permit prolonged adjournments and would continue to monitor the matter closely to ensure effective and timely compliance.
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