Delhi pollution: SC seeks reports from Punjab, Haryana on stubble burning
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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the governments of Punjab and Haryana to submit detailed affidavits on the steps taken to curb stubble burning, as air quality in Delhi and adjoining areas deteriorated to "severe" levels.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai, which has been overseeing efforts to tackle air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region, noted concerns raised about worsening air quality despite the enforcement of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan informed the Bench, also comprising Justice K. Vinod Chandran, that while GRAP-III remains in force, the current pollution levels justify activating GRAP-IV, the most stringent phase of anti-pollution measures.
“The AQI has crossed 450 in several places. Even outside Court No. 10, drilling work is underway. At least for a few days, such activities should stop,” he urged.
Senior advocate Aparajita Singh, appearing as amicus curiae in a public interest litigation (PIL) related to pollution control, also highlighted inconsistencies in official data and warned that the situation had become “very dangerous.”
Taking note of these submissions, the CJI Gavai-led Bench directed that the matter be listed for further hearing on Monday and sought responses from the Punjab and Haryana governments on measures taken to control stubble burning.
In an earlier hearing held in September, the apex court had sought a report from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) regarding its monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. The court had also asked the Centre to consider imposing strict penalties, including arrests, to deter farmers from burning crop residue.
Despite multiple judicial interventions, the Supreme Court has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction over the failure of state governments to prevent the annual surge in pollution caused by stubble burning.
With IANS inputs