The Supreme Court on Friday said repeated judicial directions and restrictions alone would not help tackle Delhi-NCR’s worsening air pollution, stressing that the fight against pollution needed to become a people’s movement, driven by public awareness and a willingness to change everyday behaviour.
“No restrictions can work unless people realise the problem and act. More the orders from this court, violations will multiply… that is the tendency of people,” a bench, comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana observed, underlining the limits of judicial intervention in addressing the recurring pollution crisis. “Diwali celebration should be with people’s awareness.
The observations also came days after the Supreme Court, in an October 29 order made public earlier this week, permitted the sale of certified green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR between November 4 and 6, and their bursting only between 6am and 7am and 8pm and 10pm on November 7 and 8. A complete ban is to be restored from November 9. The relaxation was accompanied by the requirement that the blanket ban be restored from November 9. Amicus curiae and senior advocate Aparajita Singh told the court that stubble burning accounted for around 14% of pollution, while vehicular emissions were a bigger concern.
The court, hearing a matter concerning air pollution in the national capital, said authorities needed to focus on awareness measures, particularly to protect children, and asked what steps were being taken to make people conscious of the health risks posed by deteriorating air quality. Make it a people’s movement,” the bench said, emphasising that citizens needed to recognise their role in tackling pollution rather than relying entirely on government restrictions and court orders. The court had said the complete ban had failed to curb the illegal sale of conventional firecrackers and that a regulated approach was preferable for the time being. Crop-residue burning aggravated the situation, she said, but Delhi also had several significant local sources of pollution that needed to be addressed. She also said restrictions on the entry of vehicles from the National Capital Region into Delhi were proving counterproductive, as vehicles were being forced to idle at entry points, adding to pollution.
Singh flagged continued congestion at toll plazas and collection points, saying earlier directions issued by the court in January and March to decongest them had not been fully implemented.
