Today, On 13rd November, Supreme Court Warns of Severe Delhi Air Pollution, Says “Situation Is Very Very Serious! Even Masks Are Not Enough.” Justice Narasimha Urges Lawyers to Use Virtual Hearings, Cautioning That Toxic Air May Cause Permanent Health Damage.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court expressed serious concern over the worsening air pollution levels in Delhi, observing that the situation has become “very serious” and merely wearing masks is not sufficient to deal with the health hazard.
A Bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Atul S Chandrukar made the observation.
The Court remarked,
“Situation is very very serious! Why are you all appearing here? We have the virtual hearing facility. Please avail it. This pollution will cause permanent damage,”
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, who was present, noted that lawyers are wearing masks.
Justice Narasimha responded,
“Even masks are not enough. It will not suffice. We will discuss with the Chief Justice as well,”
According to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi reached 425 at 9 AM on Tuesday. In response, CAQM implemented a 9-point action plan under Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the entire National Capital Region (NCR) with immediate effect.
Another Bench of the Supreme Court is overseeing the air pollution issue in Delhi.
Earlier, On Wednesday, that Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran questioned the governments of Punjab and Haryana about the measures taken to address stubble burning in their States, a significant contributor to air pollution in Delhi and other regions of the Indo-Gangetic plains.
An advocate in the case informed the bench that, although the Commission for Air Quality Management (CQAM) has enacted the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) III, the circumstances necessitate the adoption of GRAP IV instead.
GRAP III introduces stringent measures to control air pollution when the air quality reaches a “severe” level. These measures include: banning most non-essential construction and demolition work, restricting specific vehicles (such as BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers), and transitioning to hybrid or online learning for students up to Class 5.
Additionally, the plan limits industrial operations at facilities that do not use clean fuels and prohibits the use of diesel generator sets except in emergencies.
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The air quality in the national capital is worsening, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) surpassing 400, categorizing it as ‘severe’ at several monitoring stations.
This decline persists even with the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-III in place throughout Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Bawana reported the highest AQI at 460, while NSIT Dwarka recorded the lowest at 216.
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