‘Enjoying Delhi weather?’ CJI’s quip as Supreme Court takes up air pollution crisis, flags vehicular emission

The top court observed that Diwali celebrations should be accompanied by greater awareness of pollution.

The Supreme Court on Friday observed that Diwali celebrations should be accompanied by greater awareness of pollution, adding that restrictions alone would not address the problem and could instead encourage more violations.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana opened the proceedings with a quip from the CJI about Delhi: “I hope you all are enjoying the weather in Delhi”, LiveLaw reported.

The bench also raised concerns over heavy, "bumper-to-bumper" traffic across Delhi-NCR. "We keep talking, sometimes make statements and suggestions, but the point is that AQI is already touching 400," the CJI said.

The court also pointed to the large number of vehicles travelling on roads connecting Delhi to neighbouring areas such as Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Gurugram and Faridabad.

"Look at the roads in Delhi and the roads connecting Delhi with the NCR. Take a look at any road and the kind of vehicles moving on them. That is the major problem," the CJI said.

The bench noted that poor people bear the greatest burden as they spend much of their time working on the roads. It also pointed out that the festive season is often their only opportunity to earn a livelihood.

On stubble burning, the bench said farmers needed to be made aware of alternative methods, including the use of machines, instead of setting fire to crop residue.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre and other authorities, outlined the rules and measures in place to tackle pollution across five key areas: industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, construction and demolition dust, road dust and stubble burning.

She informed the bench that several steps had been taken, including curbs on certain vehicles entering the city, geo-tagging of pollution under control (PUC) certificates and action against vehicles emitting visible smoke. Complaints received through mobile applications and social media were also being used to identify such vehicles.

During the hearing, the bench said that simply introducing more restrictions or issuing additional orders would not offer a lasting solution.

“No restriction is going to work. The more orders we pass, the more violations will multiply,” it observed, stressing the need to change public behaviour and raise awareness about pollution.

The top court also raised concerns about closing schools or moving students to online classes in Delhi amid worsening air quality. It said it would prefer to follow expert advice forming the basis of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) rather than rely on individual studies or personal opinions.

A thick blanket of smog covered the national capital on Friday as air quality worsened sharply, bringing it to the brink of the 'severe' category. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 391.

With inputs from agencies

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