In an ongoing examination of Delhi’s worsening air quality, the Supreme Court on Monday indicated that stubble burning alone may not account for the capital’s persistent pollution crisis. The observation came from a Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi during the long-standing M.C. Mehta environmental proceedings.
The Court noted that multiple contributing factors must be evaluated comprehensively and directed the authorities to furnish a detailed report outlining the steps taken to address non-agricultural sources of pollution. The Bench sought the report within one week.
Appearing for the Union, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed the Court that the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has identified several major contributors to the deteriorating AQI levels, including vehicular emissions, construction and road dust, biomass burning, and crop residue burning.
At this stage, CJI Kant cautioned against disproportionately attributing the crisis to farmers, especially when they are not represented before the Court. He remarked that stubble burning has occurred routinely for years, yet the city had not witnessed such dramatic declines in air quality during earlier periods, citing the COVID-19 lockdowns as an example when skies remained visibly clear despite continued burning of residue.
The Court’s direction underscores the need to scrutinise broader structural causes, including unchecked vehicular population, urban congestion, and lapses in monitoring mechanisms. “We expect a clear update on what measures have been undertaken to control other significant factors contributing to the pollution,” the Bench stated.
Reiterating its intention to continuously oversee the matter, the Court stressed the importance of both immediate and long-term action plans. CJI Kant observed that Indian cities were never designed for the current population load or the exponential rise in private vehicles, and emphasised the need to evaluate whether proposed solutions are being executed or merely remain on paper.
The Bench also recalled that many air quality monitoring stations in Delhi were non-functional during Diwali, prompting earlier directions to the CAQM, as well as demands for reports from Punjab and Haryana on efforts to curb residue burning.
In a prior hearing, the Court had also required the Delhi Government to submit details regarding the efficiency and accuracy of AQI measurement equipment. Emphasising the limits of judicial intervention, the Court noted that it must rely on domain experts while continuing to monitor the matter closely.
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