Delhi Residents Are 'Talented,' Old Rules Won’t Work: Supreme Court Gets Tough on Air Pollution

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has adopted a strict stance regarding the increasing air pollution in Delhi-NCR. Hearing the case on Friday, a bench headed by CJI Surya Kant said that old measures like bans on vehicles and bans on construction work are not going to solve the problem of pollution. The court said that all kinds of activities take place in Delhi, hence new and effective steps have to be taken to deal with pollution here.

Along with CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana were also included in the hearing bench. The court expressed special concern over the heavy traffic and vehicular pollution in Delhi.

Are people facing pollution equivalent to smoking 30 cigarettes a day?

During the hearing, senior lawyer Aparajita Singh, while mentioning the serious situation of pollution, said that people are going through a very difficult situation. He said that even his voice is being affected due to pollution and it feels as if people are facing pollution equivalent to smoking 30 cigarettes daily.

On this, CJI Surya Kant said in a light tone that due to rain the number of cigarettes has reduced somewhat. The lawyer said that on November 5, the share of stubble burning in pollution was about 14 percent. He said that it is necessary to control stubble burning, garbage burning and smoke emitted from vehicles at the local level.

Is Delhi's pollution increasing due to vehicles?

The Supreme Court said that the major reason for air pollution in Delhi-NCR is the smoke emitted from vehicles. Referring to the heavy traffic jam, the court asked the officials what concrete steps have been taken so far to control pollution.

The CJI said that there are continuous discussions and statements being made on pollution, but the actual situation is that the Air Quality Index (AQI) has reached 400. In such a situation, relying only on old measures will not work. The administration will have to take effective steps to deal with the problem of bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Do the poor also have to bear the brunt of pollution?

During the hearing, the court said that Diwali time is an important earning opportunity for the poor and small businessmen. But due to big cars and vehicles they also have to face many problems.

The court also stressed the need to make farmers aware. According to the court, if farmers are given correct information about the economic loss caused by stubble burning, they themselves may be motivated to abandon this method.

Will classes be closed in schools if pollution increases?

The Supreme Court also considered a petition seeking closure of classes for children of all age groups in schools. The court said that a decision will be taken in this matter only after taking the opinion of experts.

The court's stance is clear that merely imposing restrictions will not be enough to deal with pollution in Delhi-NCR. For this, a concrete and practical strategy will have to be made on problems like vehicles, garbage burning and stubble.