The Supreme Court on Thursday raised alarm over Delhi’s rapidly deteriorating air quality, stating that pollution levels had reached a “very serious” stage and cautioning that “masks alone are not enough” for protection.
SC Urges Lawyers to Shift to Virtual Mode
Amid a dense layer of smog across the national capital, the bench urged senior advocates to avoid physical appearance in court.
“Why are you all here? Virtual hearings are available. This pollution can cause permanent damage,” Justice P.S. Narasimha said.
He also noted that even masks could not adequately safeguard individuals from toxic air exposure.
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Delhi’s AQI Remains in ‘Severe’ Category
Delhi continued to reel under hazardous pollution, with the Air Quality Index staying in the ‘severe’ category for the third straight day. Severe AQI can harm even healthy people and poses significant risk to those with respiratory or cardiac ailments.
According to CPCB data at 8 am, several monitoring stations reported alarming AQI levels:
- Bawana – 460
- Chandni Chowk – 455
- Anand Vihar – 431
- ITO – 438
- North Campus DU – 414
- Rohini – 447
- Dwarka Sector 8 – 400
Bawana reported the highest pollution levels, while NSIT Dwarka recorded the lowest at 216.
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Court Seeks Accountability from Punjab, Haryana
The court observed that stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana continues to be a major contributor to Delhi’s smog.
On Wednesday, the bench directed both states to submit detailed data on actions taken to curb crop residue burning.
The matter will be taken up again on November 17, when the Supreme Court will review the compliance reports.
