Supreme Court Seeks Punjab, Haryana Reports on Stubble Burning; Delhi Pollution Case Adjourned
The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned the Delhi air pollution case to November 17, directing the governments of Punjab and Haryana to submit detailed reports on the steps taken to stop stubble burning, one of the major causes of toxic air in Delhi-NCR.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran heard the matter as part of the long-running MC Mehta environmental case. Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan highlighted that air quality levels had crossed 450 AQI in some parts of the capital, and construction activities were still ongoing — even within the Supreme Court premises.
He urged that the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) should move from Stage III to Stage IV, given the worsening pollution. The Bench, however, asked Punjab and Haryana to file fresh reports on their actions to control farm fires.
During the hearing, concerns were raised about inaccurate data being uploaded from air monitoring stations. The Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), said a detailed report had already been filed and requested that the matter be taken up the next day.
However, the CJI refused the request, clarifying that the case would be heard next Monday instead.
Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, acting as amicus curiae, requested an urgent hearing due to the rapidly worsening situation, citing reports that farmers might be burning crop residue at specific times to avoid satellite detection. She referred to a NASA scientist’s analysis, suggesting that some fires were timed after satellite passes, possibly leading to underreported stubble-burning data.
Singh also referred to an India Today report in which farmers claimed that local officials had told them when to burn their fields. She warned that if the satellite data was indeed incomplete, official figures on stubble burning might be misleading.
She further urged the Court to modify its 2018 order, which required the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to act only when the AQI crossed 400, arguing that the pollution level could reach the ‘Severe+’ category before Monday’s hearing.
Despite these appeals, the CJI reiterated that the matter will be taken up on November 17.
