Only nine out of 37 monitoring stations were operational on Diwali in Delhi, the Supreme Court was told on Monday, as concerns were raised over the reliability of data and deteriorating air quality in the capital. The Supreme Court has asked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to file an affidavit within a week detailing the steps taken to prevent air quality from falling further.
During the hearing, senior advocate Aparajitha Singh, who is the amicus curiae in the matter, referred to news reports that a majority of air quality monitoring stations in the capital were not operational on Diwali, as she said such instances could jeopardize the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
“There are newspapers after newspapers saying that monitoring stations are not working. If monitoring stations are not working, we don’t even know when we will implement GRAP. This is the serious situation. Let them also answer the monitoring station situation, because out of 37 (stations) on Deepavali day, only 9 were working continuously,” she told the court. “Why is CAQM evading reporting?” Singh asked during the hearing.
In response, Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and K Vinod Chandran said: “We direct the Commission on Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to record an affidavit indicating the steps proposed to be taken to prevent air pollution levels from deteriorating further…”
CAQM’s counsel stated that it has already submitted a report on the peremptory steps and added that it is the CPCB that has the data regarding the pollution.
Meanwhile, to review the pollution situation in the capital, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday held a high-level meeting at the Delhi Secretariat. She said that multiple teams have been formed to work against industrial units and confiscate polluting vehicles. According to an official statement, she also said that ongoing efforts are underway to “normalize conditions in identified pollution hotspots.” Implementation teams were directed to submit daily reports. Officials said additional teams are being formed to eliminate garbage burning incidents. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said all agencies had been directed to double the deployment of water sprinklers, and that dust control remained a “top priority”.
At 309, Al Qaeda’s average score in Delhi on Monday was in the ‘very weak’ category.
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The SC monitors matters related to air pollution in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) and issues orders from time to time. These include orders banning polluted firecrackers and measures to stop farm fires in states like Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
On September 27, 2024, the court withdrew the statutory body tackling air pollution as it said the CAQM “needs to be more active” to check pollution caused by stubble burning in areas under its jurisdiction.
At that time, the court also agreed with the amicus curiae that “the Committee did not perform in the manner it was expected to perform with respect to the matter for which the Committee was established.”
Hearing the matter on 17 September, the Supreme Court also proposed reintroducing the penal provision in the Environment (Protection) Act 1986, so that those who continue to burn tree stubble, which contributes to winter air pollution, could be prosecuted, “acting as a deterrent”.
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The Center amended Section 15 of the Act, which provides for criminal prosecution, by amendment in 2023. However, the Union government informed the court that not prosecuting farmers is a national policy.
Ahead of Diwali this year, the court also relaxed the blanket ban on firecrackers in Delhi and the NCR and allowed the sale of National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI)-certified green crackers from October 18 to October 20. Usage was limited to two days – October 19 and 20, between 6am to 7am and 8pm to 10pm.
(Tags for translation) Air pollution in Delhi
