Expressing concern over the persistently high air-pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre and concerned authorities to “revisit” their action plan to assess whether the measures taken so far have yielded any meaningful results.
Chief Justice Surya Kant-led bench questioned the efficacy of existing strategies, observing that despite multiple interventions, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) continues to remain in the “poor” category through October and November, causing widespread respiratory distress among residents.
“Why don’t you re-examine your action plan to see if it has brought any effective change?” the bench asked, noting that evaluation was necessary to identify steps that were ineffective or insufficient.
The court also pressed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), represented by ASG Aishwarya Bhati, to clarify what factors, besides stubble burning, were driving the pollution spike. It warned against placing disproportionate blame on farmers, who are “unrepresented before the court,” and stressed the need for a scientific analysis of all contributors.
The bench questioned why Delhi could witness blue skies four to five years ago, but not today. It said it would now hear the matter at least twice a month, remarking that pollution levels may drop after winter but “history will repeat itself” without sustained corrective action.
The case will next be heard on December 10.
