Amid the ‘poor’ Air Quality Index of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), the Supreme Court observed on Tuesday that the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has been silent on the issues raised by the top court concerning the worsening quality of air in the region. 

A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant noted that the CAQM has ‘clearly failed to identify the causes behind the worsening AQI in Delhi and to propose long-term solutions to curb it’

ANI quoted the court as saying, “CAQM, instead of placing any concrete plan or proposal for visible long-term remedial measures, submitted only a status note, which is silent on most of the issues raised by the Court as well as by the learned Amicus Curiae. CAQM has failed to clearly identify the causes of worsening AQI or propose long-term solutions.” 

The apex court further observed that in the light of the situation, it is now compelled to issue certain directions necessary to identify the causes as well as the long-term solutions for the air quality concerns in the region: 

The top court stated that the CAQM, being an expert body, is primarily obligated to bring domain experts under one umbrella and seek a unanimous understanding of the causes of worsening AQI. It stated that such an exercise would not take much time, as the issue essentially involves sharing reasons and collating existing data from institutions such as IITs and TERI. 

“This would enable CAQM to form a broad understanding of the real causes and evolve proportionate solutions for each source,” SC noted. 

The bench further noted that, “Ideally, these reasons should be placed in the public domain with a citizen-centric approach so that people are aware of the causes and can offer suggestions. Some of the causes are inevitably attributable to citizens of the NCR, and public awareness programmes could help curb such factors.”

Delhi AQI Today

The air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category across several parts of the national capital, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Delhi’s overall AQI was 288, placing it in the ‘poor’ category.

Meanwhile, flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport continued under CAT III conditions, airport authorities stated in a post on X, though passengers may experience delays or disruptions.

Govt Action 

ANI reported that the Sub-Committee on the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) revoked Stage-III of GRAP on Friday evening, following a significant improvement in air quality due to favourable meteorological conditions.

The authorities have urged people to adhere to the citizen charter under Stages II and I of the extant schedule of GRAP so that the AQI level does not slip further.