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In what seems to be a timely warning about the dangerous times ahead for the Delhi-NCR region in terms of the winter air pollution, the Supreme Court of India rapped the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) questioning the effectiveness of the interventions of the panel in curbing pollution on September 27, 2024.
“How many directions have been passed under section 12? What action has the committee for safeguarding and enforcement taken? Has any direction helped in curing the problem? The same thing happens every year. The issue of serious pollution. Is it coming down?” the apex court reportedly asked.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and AG Masih said that it must be ensured that alternative equipment for stubble burning are used at grassroots level.
The Supreme Court bench ordered the panel to submit a more detailed compliance report and scheduled a hearing for October 3. Previously, the court asked the panel to outline its actions to reduce air pollution from crop residue burning.
The amicus curiae in the matter, senior advocate Aprajita Singh, according to a TOI report, highlighted the fact that stubble burning has already started in the neighbouring states of Delhi, as reported by multiple news organisations.
Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was at 235 (poor category) on Wednesday evening but improved to 97 (satisfactory) by Thursday evening, according to CPCB data. AQI is classified into six categories: good (0-50), satisfactory (51-100), moderate (101-200), poor (201-300), very poor (301-400), and severe (401-500).
A Mint report citing data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute said that the stubble burning is already up by 400% this year as the ‘beginning of this year’s stubble-burning season has already seen 124 farm fires in Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh from 15-23 September, significantly higher than the 25 recorded in the corresponding period last year.’
Meanwhile, the Delhi government recently unveiled a 21-point Winter Action Plan to combat rising air pollution, focusing on real-time pollution monitoring via drones, deploying special task forces, and implementing emergency measures like artificial rain and vehicle rationing.
However, experts argue that artificial rain is ineffective against air pollution if applied to a small area, as it would only create a localized “pollution vacuum,” displacing pollutants rather than eliminating them.
While most of the blame falls on the ‘stubble burning’ and ‘Diwali celebrations’ for the worsening quality of ambient air in Delhi and its neighbouring states, India’s smog problem is also part of the larger climate change issue. CFC India has earlier highlighted that other factors like pollution from vehicles and factories, climate change, and ineffective machinery offered to the farmers as an alternative to stubble burning contribute equally to the annual smog problem.
Here is a link to the story.
References:
How North India’s Smog problem is part of the larger Climate Change issue
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