New Delhi, Nov 27: The Supreme Court on Thursday said that judicial intervention alone cannot resolve Delhi-NCR’s persistent air pollution crisis, stressing that only domain experts and scientists can identify and implement effective solutions.
“What magic wand can a judicial forum exercise?” Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said, responding to a request by amicus curiae Aparajita Singh for an urgent hearing on the region’s deteriorating air quality. “Everyone knows this is hazardous… but tell us what direction we can give today that will lead to clean air immediately?”
The Bench, also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi, agreed to hear the matter on Monday, December 1. The CJI underlined that the case should not come up only ceremonially around Diwali each year. “It has to be monitored on a regular basis,” he noted.
Singh told the court the situation had become a “health emergency” in the capital. The CJI said the pollution problem had multiple causes and could not be attributed to a single factor. “Only experts can examine all the reasons,” he said. “It would be a bona fide mistake to think otherwise.”
Delhi recorded an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 327 over the past 24 hours, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s November 26 bulletin — a level classified as “very poor”.
On Wednesday, CJI Kant said he himself felt unwell after stepping out for a walk. “The only exercise I do is walking. But even that is difficult now,” he remarked in court, adding he was considering shifting Supreme Court hearings to virtual mode depending on consultations with the Bar.
The top court has been monitoring air pollution in Delhi-NCR for several years. On November 17, it asked the Delhi government to file an affidavit on the equipment and efficiency of AQI measurement systems in the city.
