Today, On 1st December, The Supreme Court said it does not want to comment on stubble burning, noting it is easy to blame farmers, and asked whether it is the sole cause of Delhi pollution, recalling clear skies seen during COVID days.
The Supreme Court expressed doubts on Monday regarding the assertion that stubble burning by farmers is the primary cause of the current air pollution crisis in Delhi.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi has requested a report on the actions taken to address additional pollutants.
This directive arose during the long-running MC Mehta case, which addresses various environmental issues, including air pollution in the capital.
Additional Solicitor General of India (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati informed the Court that the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has developed action plans to combat pollution in Delhi and surrounding areas.
She noted that stubble burning, vehicular emissions, construction dust, road dust, and biomass burning all contribute to pollution levels.
CJI Kant remarked that it is simple to hold farmers accountable for stubble burning when they lack representation in court and cannot defend themselves.
He stated,
“We don’t want to comment on stubble burning as it’s easy to pass off burden on those who are hardly represented before us,”
He further highlighted that while stubble burning has occurred in the past, it did not lead to a significant deterioration in air quality like what has been experienced recently.
The CJI noted,
“During COVID, stubble burning happened as usual, but we could still see blue skies and stars. Why? Something to be thought about and other factors,”
He insisted on obtaining a report detailing measures taken to address other potential causes of air pollution, which he requested to be submitted within a week.
The Court reinforced its commitment to regularly monitor this case in efforts to curb pollution.
CJI Kant added,
“We want to see long-term and short-term plans and we will keep taking the case up. None of the cities of the country were developed to accommodate this scale of population or with the thought that each home will have multiple cars. Let us see which measures are suggested to us and how these measures are implemented or are in paper only,”
Previously, the Supreme Court had permitted the use of green crackers during Diwali in the national capital and nearby areas.
However, as pollution levels soared, medical professionals have advised residents to consider leaving Delhi for a few weeks.
Earlier this month, the Court requested a status report from the CAQM after learning that many air quality monitoring stations remained inactive during Diwali in Delhi.
The Court had additionally sought reports from Punjab and Haryana regarding efforts to mitigate stubble burning by farmers, a factor exacerbating air quality issues in northern India.
Earlier, On November 17, the Court instructed the Delhi government to provide an affidavit detailing the functionality and efficacy of equipment used to measure the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the capital. During the last hearing, the Court recognized that it does not possess a “magic wand” to resolve the air pollution crisis, emphasizing the need to rely on expert guidance for effective solutions.
Case Title: M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (W.P. (C) No. 13029/1985)
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