Sun Nov 17 13:16:42 UTC 2024: ## Supreme Court to Tackle Delhi’s Severe Air Pollution Crisis on Monday

**NEW DELHI** – The Supreme Court of India will convene on Monday to address the alarmingly high levels of air pollution currently plaguing Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The court was informed today by Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, acting as amicus curiae, that Delhi’s air quality has again reached “severe” levels.

Singh highlighted the government’s failure to implement previously mandated pre-emptive measures to prevent such pollution spikes. The Court has already issued various orders targeting sources of pollution including stubble burning, firecrackers, vehicular emissions, garbage burning, and industrial activity.

While orders regarding stubble burning and firecrackers have been issued, their enforcement has been inconsistent. The Court expressed strong dissatisfaction with the implementation of the firecracker ban, criticizing the Delhi Police for lax enforcement and the Delhi government for delays in notifying the ban. The court has ordered the establishment of a special cell to enforce the ban and has held Station House Officers accountable for compliance.

The Court has also directed Punjab and Haryana to address farmers’ concerns regarding the lack of adequate machinery for stubble management and to initiate prosecutions against officials who ignored orders from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to curb stubble burning. The Court emphasized that the nominal fines imposed have proven ineffective in curbing the practice and noted perceived political reluctance to take stronger action.

Further, the Court questioned the efficacy of the amended Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986, deeming it “toothless” due to a lack of effective enforcement mechanisms. The Court has directed states to begin imposing penalties under Section 15 of the EPA.

The Court will separately address vehicular pollution on November 25th, 2024, and the effectiveness of color-coded vehicle stickers on January 3rd, 2025. The ongoing case, *MC Mehta v. Union of India*, underscores the Court’s commitment to ensuring citizens’ fundamental right to a clean environment under Article 21 of the Constitution.

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