The Court further directed the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to file affidavits after consulting each other on the issue. The CAQM was asked to submit its suggestions for better management of agricultural waste by March 17.
![[Delhi Air Pollution] 'Can't Blame Only One State': Supreme Court Directs Punjab, Haryana Govt. Over Farm Fires](https://i0.wp.com/lawchakra.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Delhi-air-Pollution.webp?resize=820%2C461&ssl=1)
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday(3rd Feb) clarified that farm fires in Punjab are not the only reason behind Delhi’s air pollution problem during winter. While these farm fires do contribute to the city’s air quality issues, the Court directed the Punjab government to work with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to find better ways of managing agricultural waste.
This ongoing issue has once again been brought to the Supreme Court, where a bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Augustine George Masih has been hearing arguments from all sides. Over the past several hearings, the Court has also criticized the Delhi government for not strictly enforcing laws against firecrackers during Diwali. The bursting of firecrackers, despite being banned, is another major factor contributing to Delhi’s air pollution.
“You are right. We can’t blame only one state…” said Justice Abhay Oka, acknowledging the complexity of the situation.
Farmers in these three states often burn crop residue to clear land for the next planting season. This burning of paddy straw has been one of the main causes of Delhi’s poor air quality during the winter months. The Court highlighted the importance of finding solutions to reduce these fires.
It referred to a note on paddy straw management by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which suggested that solutions could include crop diversification and both in-situ (on-site) and ex-situ (off-site) management of crop residue.
The Court further directed the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to file affidavits after consulting each other on the issue. The CAQM was asked to submit its suggestions for better management of agricultural waste by March 17.
As for Punjab, the Court acknowledged that while farm fires from the state did contribute to Delhi’s air pollution, they could not be solely blamed for the ongoing air quality crisis.
This statement came after the state’s counsel, Attorney-General Gurminder Singh, presented data showing that Punjab had stopped reporting farm fires after November 15.
Singh pointed out that Delhi’s air quality continued to worsen in December and January, despite no new reports of fires from Punjab. This made it clear that farm fires were not the only cause of the pollution, even though they had played a role earlier.
In November, the Punjab government reported a 70 percent reduction in farm fires compared to the previous year, citing increased mechanization in the agriculture sector as a major factor in this improvement. This reduction in stubble burning was a positive step, the Court noted.
However, the issue of farm fires remains a point of contention between the three states, with each blaming the others for the pollution crisis affecting Delhi. The Delhi government, led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), often points to the neighboring states as the main culprits.
In November, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi blamed the central government and the BJP, which rules in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, for not taking adequate action. She criticized the Centre for focusing on Punjab, where the AAP is also in power, and not addressing pollution from the other states.
“Other cities in northern India are also polluted… what is the centre doing? Only Punjab has reduced stubble burning. Why doesn’t the central government act against others?” Atishi had said in her remarks, accusing the central government of failing to tackle the problem on a broader scale.
The Justices have not been kind in their comments on Delhi’s enforcement efforts. They have called the Delhi government’s explanations for the continuing problem “eyewash” and have urged for more stringent measures to tackle pollution from various sources.
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