Delhi-NCR air pollution: SC to hear on Monday plea on stubble burning

The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Monday a plea related to stubble burning that has been further worsening the air quality levels in Delhi-NCR.

The top court had earlier asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to apprise it about the action taken to control the situation.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice BR Gavai and justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria had earlier agreed to hear the plea on November 17.

"Let Punjab and Haryana governments respond on steps taken to control stubble burning," the CJI had said.

Earlier on November 3, the top court directed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to file an affidavit detailing the steps it has taken so far to prevent the air pollution situation in Delhi-NCR from deteriorating further.

The Bench was hearing the M C Mehta case and had said that the authorities must act proactively and not wait for pollution levels to reach a "severe" stage.

Amicus curiae Singh had flagged media reports indicating that several air quality monitoring stations in Delhi were not functioning during the Diwali period.

"There are newspapers after newspapers saying that monitoring stations are non-functional. If the monitoring stations are not even functioning, we don't even know when to implement GRAP (graded response action plan). Out of 37 monitoring stations, only nine were functioning continuously on the day of Diwali," she said.

The amicus urged the Bench to ensure that CAQM submits clear data and an action plan.

However, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati assured the Bench that the agencies concerned will file the required report.

On October 15, the CJI-led Bench permitted the sale and bursting of green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR during Diwali with conditions aimed at balancing tradition with environmental and health concerns.

The court had made it clear that the use of green crackers will be confined to specific hours on Diwali and the day before. The sale of green crackers was permitted from October 18 to 20. It had also made clear that the relaxation was only on a "test case basis and it shall be only for the period specified".