Supreme Court slams Commission for Air Quality Management over stubble burning

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The Supreme Court on Friday criticised the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) over its failure to curb air pollution in Delhi due to the crop residue burning in the neighbouring states and added that the committee needs to be more active in its efforts, PTI reported.

Expressing discontent over the steps taken to control pollution by the panel, a bench of Justice Abha S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih said CAQM needs to exercise its power under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021.

"There has been total non-compliance of the Act. Please show us a single direction issued to any stakeholder under the Act."

"We are of the view that though the commission has taken steps, it needs to be more active. The commission must ensure that its efforts and directions issued actually translate into reducing the problem of pollution," the bench said, cited by PTI.

The apex court said efforts are needed to make sure alternative equipment for stubble-burning are used at the grassroots level.

The panel must immediately take steps to ensure the equipment provided by the Central government for avoiding stubble burning are being used by farmers, it added.

The bench instructed the panel to submit an improved compliance report, and the subject was scheduled for hearing on October 3, PTI reported.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, briefed the court about the steps taken such as issuing advisories and guidelines, to control stubble burning.

However, the Supreme Court remarked, "It is all in the air, nothing has been shown regarding what has been done in the National Capital Region (NCR) states."

Chairman of the Commission for Air Quality Management for NCT of Delhi Rajesh Verma, who was present virtually during the hearing, told the bench that he has held meetings with the deputy commissioners of Punjab and Haryana where the stubble-burning incident was reported.

According to PTI, the Supreme Court on September 24 asked the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas to explain the steps undertaken to curb air pollution caused due to the crop residue burning.

It has earlier noted that stubble burning was one of the reasons for the spike in air pollution during winters in Delhi-NCR.

On August 27, it declared the pollution control boards of Delhi and the NCR states "ineffective" due to a lack of staff and asked the body in charge of air quality management in the national capital and surrounding areas to explain how it intends to fight pollution and stubble burning, which would increase with the start of winter.

Due to vacancies, the top court had concerns about the functioning of the subcommittee on protection and enforcement that the CAQM was going to form because the pollution control boards of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh would not be represented, PTI reported.

It directed the five NCR states to fill in the vacant posts quickly, ideally before April 30, 2025.

The top court has directed the chairperson of CAQM to file an affidavit explaining the steps the commission proposes to take to inspect the problem of air pollution, sometimes attributed to states that border the nation's capital burning paddy straw, PTI reported.