‘Hope you are enjoying Delhi weather’: CJI blames vehicles for air pollution

The Supreme Court identified several connected pollution sources in Delhi-NCR. Vehicular emissions were described as the biggest problem, especially on crowded roads linking Delhi with neighbouring areas. The court also examined crop-residue, or stubble, burning, along with pollution from energy use and waste burning.

A key example was bumper-to-bumper traffic entering and leaving Delhi. Vehicles produce emissions, while congestion and border checks can make them idle for longer. Stubble fires add smoke, but the court stressed that Delhi was already polluted before farm fires increased the burden.

The discussion showed that no single source can solve the crisis. Authorities are considering public-transport improvements, phasing out diesel-operated rickshaws, stubble procurement, machinery for gram panchayats, and storage facilities. The court also said local sources must receive attention, not just seasonal farm fires.

The Air Quality Index, or AQI, summarizes air pollution using a numerical scale. It helps people understand whether outdoor air is clean, unhealthy, or dangerous without studying separate pollutant measurements. Higher readings mean worse air and greater potential health concern.

A reading of 389 falls in India’s very poor category. It means pollution is high enough to create health risks, especially for people with breathing or heart problems, children, older adults, and those outdoors for long periods. The article also reports that several Delhi areas turned severe as AQI reached 389.

The number is a warning, not a measure of one pollutant alone. Weather, traffic, smoke, waste burning, and farm fires can all affect it. Rain briefly lowered Delhi’s pollution, but winter conditions can allow pollutants to accumulate again, making sustained action more important than a temporary improvement.

Stubble burning contributed 14 per cent to pollution on November 5, according to the hearing. That figure shows farm fires matter, especially during the season when crop residue is burned. But it does not mean they explain all of Delhi-NCR’s polluted air.

The amicus curiae, Aparajita Singh, stressed that the capital was polluted before farm fires added to the problem. She called transport the biggest problem and also pointed to energy use and waste burning across the NCR. These local sources continue operating within and around the city, regardless of whether farm fires are rising or falling.

This distinction matters for policy. The government reported that farm fires had reduced significantly this year, particularly in Haryana. Even so, the court pressed authorities to address traffic, public transport, border idling, waste burning, and other local emissions instead of relying on stubble controls alone.

Winter weather allows smoke and other pollutants to remain over Delhi instead of dispersing quickly. The article explains that smoke disperses during summer but remains trapped during winter. This seasonal difference can turn emissions from many sources into a concentrated layer of polluted air.

Traffic, waste burning, energy use, and farm fires continue adding pollutants. When the atmosphere does not clear them efficiently, each source contributes to the same trapped mixture. The ASG also said Delhi’s geographical location made it difficult for smoke to disperse, increasing the challenge.

The result is that pollution can rise sharply even when individual sources have not changed dramatically. Rain temporarily lowered levels during the hearing, but that relief may not last. The court therefore questioned whether scientific methods were being used, while authorities relied on measures such as GRAP to regulate activities as pollution levels change.

Traffic worsens air pollution because large numbers of vehicles release emissions across Delhi and the NCR. Bumper-to-bumper conditions mean vehicles remain on roads for longer, while congestion slows movement and increases the time spent emitting. The CJI called vehicular pollution a major cause.

Border delays create another problem. Aparajita Singh said vehicles were being stopped at NCR borders and made to idle, despite an earlier court order. An idling vehicle may not be moving, but its engine can continue releasing exhaust. Diesel-operated rickshaws were also among the vehicles targeted by proposed phase-out measures.

The problem is both movement and management. The ASG cited measures involving diesel rickshaws and buses entering Delhi, but conceded that the toll-plaza order was incompletely implemented. The court also highlighted inadequate public transport, suggesting that better alternatives are needed to reduce private-vehicle congestion and emissions.

Farmers can struggle to stop burning stubble even when machinery is available because equipment is not automatically usable or affordable. Aparajita Singh told the court that farmers may lack fuel, face high fuel prices, and find that machines do not work well on small farms.

The machinery problem is also about scale and ownership. The CJI suggested giving equipment to gram panchayats because individual farmers could not afford the machines. The court also discussed buying collected stubble at a fixed rate and creating storage facilities, which could make residue management more practical.

The government said farm fires had reduced significantly this year, particularly in Haryana, and referred to state financial incentives. Still, the hearing showed that incentives must be paired with fuel, suitable equipment, predictable procurement rates, and local access. The Agriculture Ministry was expected to consider the suggestions and existing scheme.

Dangerous urban smog develops when several pollution sources operate at the same time. Vehicle exhaust comes from crowded roads and diesel vehicles. Crop-residue fires add smoke from outside the city. Waste burning and energy use add local pollution. Together, these emissions create a heavier pollution load than any single source alone.

Weather controls how long that pollution stays. The hearing noted that smoke disperses during summer but remains trapped during winter. Delhi’s geographical location also makes dispersion difficult. Bumper-to-bumper traffic and idling at borders keep vehicles emitting, while farm fires can add another seasonal layer.

Rain can lower pollution temporarily, as it did in Delhi, but the sources continue unless policies change. The court discussed GRAP, public transport, stubble procurement, machinery, storage, and enforcement at toll plazas. The central challenge is coordinated action across transport, farming, waste, energy, and weather-sensitive emergency measures.