The Supreme Court of India has issued a stern directive, urging state governments and authorities to take swift and effective measures to combat the severe air pollution crisis in the national capital, Delhi. The court emphasized that the deteriorating air quality is causing harm to people’s health and referred to it as the “murder of people’s health.”
The apex court identified one of the primary culprits behind the annual spike in Delhi’s air pollution as the burning of crop residue in neighboring states, including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. It urged these state governments to take immediate action to halt the practice of stubble burning.
“We want it stopped. We don’t know how you do it, it’s your job. But it must be stopped. Something has to be done immediately,” remarked the court.
The Supreme Court’s order did not spare the Delhi government, highlighting that several buses in the city were running inefficiently, causing additional pollution. The court pressed for a resolution to this issue as well.
The bench comprising Justice SK Kaul and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia scheduled the matter for further consideration on Friday. Additionally, the court has requested the Central government to organize a meeting with the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, and Delhi to devise strategies for curbing stubble burning. Vehicular emissions, another significant contributor to Delhi’s air pollution, will also be addressed.
The court’s directive came in response to a case highlighting the severe air quality crisis in Delhi, which has consistently fallen into the ‘severe’ category over recent days. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board, several areas in Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of over 400, four times the acceptable air quality level.
Advocate Aparajita Singh, representing the petitioner, drew attention to the ongoing problem of farm fires in Punjab, asserting that stubble burning is a leading cause of Delhi’s deteriorating air quality. “CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management) and states are saying they are taking all steps to control air pollution. But stubble burning is still on,” she stressed, prompting the court to express concern that Delhi cannot continue in this manner.
Senior Advocate Gopal Shankaranarayan, also representing the petitioners, pointed out that this issue has been under consideration since 2017, with several orders passed.
In addition to urging action against stubble burning, the court requested Punjab and the Central government to explore alternative crops to replace paddy, highlighting the detrimental impact of paddy cultivation on the state’s water table.
The issue of rising air pollution levels in Delhi, particularly due to stubble burning, has evolved into a politically charged matter in recent years. The Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi has previously accused governments in Punjab and Haryana of not doing enough to address the burning of crop residue. However, the situation has become more complex as the AAP now governs both Delhi and Punjab.
The Supreme Court’s directive underscores the urgency of addressing this pressing environmental and health crisis, calling on all stakeholders to collaborate in finding sustainable solutions to curb air pollution and protect public health.
Sources By Agencies
