Supreme Court hearing on Delhi air pollution: 'Stubble burning should not be political issue, none of us can sit idle'

Delhi's air quality worsened on Monday as the AQI inched closer to the 'very poor' category

Amid quality of air worsening in New Delhi, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday said stubble burning should not be a political issue.

A bench headed by the CJI, which was hearing the Delhi pollution matter regularly, said the issue cannot be treated as a seasonal formality.

“Delhi pollution matter cannot be listed customarily in October, and we will be taking it up regularly,” the CJI said. According to him, the air quality improvement was observed “just because this item was heard”.

Calling for accountability and scientific solutions, the CJI told the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the Centre, “None of us can sit idle. We can’t presume that there’s no solution to this problem.”

The to court was hearing the case on air pollution in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The CJI said it has become a thing to conveniently put the blame on stubble farming for air pollution in the national capital and nearby areas.

He also highlighted that stubble burning happened during the Covid lockdown, but still the capital saw a blue sky.

The court also directed the Centre to submit, within a week, a report on measures taken to control pollution from non-stubble sources.

“Which one is the biggest one? That needs to be identified," the CJI said, asking for a science-backed assessment.

Backing farmers, the court reiterated, “Farmers only need to be sensitised. We need to provide certain machines."