Delhi air pollution: SC asks North Indian states to immediately stop stubble burning

Taking a dim view of Delhi’s choking pollution, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan governments to immediately stop burning crop residue.

A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia said Delhi can't be made to go through this year after year.

"There cannot be a political battle every time," the judges told the lawyer representing the Punjab government.

The court also told the Delhi government to ensure that municipal solid waste was not burnt in the open.

Hearing a matter pertaining to air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region, the bench flagged issues like crop residue burning, vehicular pollution and burning of waste in the open.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on Friday.

Pollution levels in Delhi were recorded in the "very poor" category on Tuesday morning after five consecutive days of “severe” air quality.

Poor air quality

The concentration of PM2.5 -- fine particulate matter capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory system and triggering health problems -- exceeded the government-prescribed safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre by seven to eight times in the capital.

It was 30 to 40 times the healthy limit of 15 micrograms per cubic metre set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Several cities in neighbouring Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have also reported hazardous air quality.

Ghaziabad recorded AQI of 338, Gurugram 364, Noida 348, Greater Noida 439 and Faridabad 382.

Stressing that the air quality was killing "people's health", the court told the Punjab government lawyer: "We want it stopped. We don't know how you do it, it's your job. But it must be stopped. Something has to be done immediately.”

The Bench did not spare Delhi government either. "The Delhi government also must be responsible. There are many buses running that pollute and run at half capacity. You have to attend to the problem."

Directive to Centre

The court has asked Centre to hold a meeting with Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi governments on ways to stop stubble burning.

Appearing for the petitioner, Advocate Aparajita Singh said the farm fires in Punjab have not been checked. She said stubble burning was the top contributor to the slide in Delhi's air quality.

Senior Advocate Gopal Shankaranarayan, also appearing for petitioners, said this matter was being heard since 2017 and several orders had been passed.

The court also asked Punjab and Centre to look for an alternative crop to paddy. It pointed out how paddy was also destroying the state's water table.

Pressed for time ahead of the winter sowing season, farmers in various states set fire to the stubble as the fastest and cheapest way to clear the field for the new crops.

(With agency inputs)