Delhi pollution very serious: Supreme Court

New Delhi, Nov 13: Expressing deep concern over the deteriorating air quality in the national capital, the Supreme Court on Thursday described the situation as “very serious” and urged lawyers to appear before the court virtually instead of attending hearings in person, Bar and Bench reported.

The remarks were made by a Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar, who noted the visible impact of pollution on those attending court proceedings.

“Situation is very, very serious! Why are you all appearing here? We have the virtual hearing facility. Please avail it. This pollution will cause permanent damage,” the Bench observed. Responding to the observation, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal said that many lawyers were already using masks in court. Justice Narasimha, however, cautioned that even masks were insufficient protection against the toxic air. “Even masks are not enough. It will not suffice. We will discuss with the Chief Justice as well,” he said as reported by Bar & Bench.

According to data from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 425 at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, placing it in the “severe” category. The CAQM has since enforced Stage III restrictions of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region, announcing a nine-point action plan that includes curbs on construction, vehicular movement, and industrial activities. A separate Bench of the apex court led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice J.B. Pardiwala is monitoring the broader issue of air pollution in Delhi and neighbouring states. On Wednesday, the Bench had sought responses from the Punjab and Haryana governments on measures taken to control stubble burning, one of the key contributors to the region’s hazardous air quality.