CJI says committees ‘on paper’ not enough to tackle Delhi’s smog as AQI continues to deteriorate

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday heard fresh concerns over Delhi’s worsening air quality, with Amicus Curiae Aparajita Singh warning the bench that the situation in Delhi NCR had reached "a health emergency”. Presenting the matter before the court, she stressed that air pollution levels had become "deeply worrying”.

Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant responded with a pointed question: "What magic wand can a judicial forum wave?” He added, "I know it is dangerous for Delhi NCR. Tell me what directions we can issue?”

Justice Surya Kant said the court was willing to consider any directive that could "instantly make clean air available”. However, he reminded the courtroom that Delhi’s pollution crisis was the result of multiple causes. "We all know what the problem is. We have to identify all the causes. There is no single reason. To think otherwise would be a serious mistake,” he said. Singh currently serves as the court appointed friend of the bench in the air pollution matter.

The Chief Justice noted that only domain experts and scientists could chart out effective remedies. "Then we must see the solutions possible for each sector,” he said. Reflecting on past attempts, he remarked that various committees set up by authorities had largely remained "on paper”, producing little meaningful change. The court, he said, would now require "regular monitoring”.

CJI Surya Kant assured that the bench would continue to take the matter seriously. Earlier, he had publicly acknowledged that Delhi’s air had become so toxic that he personally avoided going outdoors. The Supreme Court has now agreed to hear the pollution related petition on December 3 amid escalating public health concerns.

The bench also declined the idea of imposing year round restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan, which is an emergency framework that restricts specific activities when pollution crosses severe thresholds.

On Thursday morning, Delhi’s air quality remained in the very poor category. This came just a day after the Commission for Air Quality Management lifted Grade 3 restrictions across Delhi NCR. The city’s overall AQI stood at 351 in the morning, following a 24 hour average of 327 recorded the previous evening. Although marginally better than Tuesday’s AQI of 353 and Monday’s 328, pollution levels have remained hazardous for three consecutive weeks, with AQI exceeding 300 for 21 straight days.

At one point during the hearing, the Chief Justice indicated that the Supreme Court might consider switching to virtual hearings if the Bar Association proposed it due to the capital’s pollution. Sharing a personal experience, he said: "I just went for a walk yesterday. I walked for 55 minutes. When I came back, I felt discomfort and by morning it became quite difficult.”

He made the remark while hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the SIR exercise.