The Supreme Court of India will hear the worsening Delhi-NCR air pollution case alongside the Taj Trapezium matter, addressing rising smog levels, poor air quality, and pending reports from CAQM and CPCB.
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NEW DELHI: The air quality in Delhi-NCR has worsened to severe levels, raising grave health and environmental concerns. Smog and hazardous particulate matter have blanketed the capital and its adjoining regions, forcing authorities to implement emergency measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Despite ongoing efforts by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), pollution levels continue to rise, severely impacting visibility, respiratory health, and overall public safety.
During the latest hearing, the Supreme Court of India noted the worsening air pollution crisis. Counsel for the petitioners informed the Court that, pursuant to its order dated November 3, directing the CPCB and the Commission for Air Quality Management to file affidavits, no date had yet been fixed for further hearing. Given the urgency, counsel requested that the matter be listed at the earliest, preferably on Monday.
However, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) stated,
“It’s listed for the 12th.”
When the counsel pressed for an earlier hearing, the CJI clarified,
“Not on Monday; we have to conclude the Madras Bar Association matter that day.”
The CJI further assured,
“We will take it up along with the Taj Trapezium matter.”
The Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) case, concerning the protection of the Taj Mahal from industrial and vehicular pollution, often intersects with broader environmental issues in North India, making this joint hearing particularly significant.
This area falls under the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), which covers about 10,400 square kilometers and includes parts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras, Etah in Uttar Pradesh, and Bharatpur in Rajasthan.
The “Taj Trapezium case,” focusing on illegal tree felling in the Mathura-Vrindavan corridor of Uttar Pradesh. This case involves multiple aspects, including the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) project and compliance with environmental obligations.
Earlier in the Court
On November 3, the Supreme Court of India took serious note of the worsening air pollution crisis in Delhi-NCR, directing the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to file a detailed status report.
A Bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran issued the order after being informed that most of Delhi’s air monitoring stations were non-functional during Diwali, leaving authorities with unreliable data.
Senior Advocate Aparajita Sinha, acting as amicus curiae, told the Court that only 9 out of 37 monitoring systems were operational during the festival, stressing the need for accurate data to guide policy measures.
In response, ASG Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Central Government, assured that the CAQM report would be filed soon. The Delhi Government also submitted that the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) holds crucial pollution data and that preventive steps had already been reported.
The Court also noted media reports alleging manipulation of AQI readings, where water tankers were deployed near monitoring stations to artificially lower pollution levels.
With Delhi’s AQI crossing 450 in several areas after Diwali, experts warned of severe health risks. The Bench emphasized that transparent and reliable air quality data is essential for implementing the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) effectively.
Click Here to Read More Reports On Delhi’s Air Pollution
