'Don't have a magic wand': Supreme Court on Delhi air pollution; calls for identification of factors behind toxic smog

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday said it “does not have a magic wand” to instantly fix Delhi-NCR’s worsening air pollution, and stressed the need to pinpoint the specific sources driving the capital’s recurring toxic smog.

Also Read | GRAP-III lifted in Delhi-NCR as AQI improves to ‘very poor’ category; city records coldest November night in 3 years

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi also agreed to review the issue on a regular basis and listed the matter for December 1.




"We will take up the matter. We don't have a magic wand which courts can use to find quick solutions on this. The problems we have identified, their solutions are what we need. We will have to identify all the reasons," CJI Kant observed, according to news agency ANI.

"There is no one reason for the problem. People may be thinking there may be only one reason but there are various factors. Only domain experts and scientists can find out solutions to deal with each reason. We hope and expect that the government may have come up with something. We'll take up the matter on a regular basis," he added.

The remarks came a day after the CJI told the court he felt "unwell" following an hour-long morning walk in Delhi’s toxic air.

Earlier, previous CJI BR Gavai had directed the governments of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan to implement preventive measures and conduct regular reviews.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi recorded an AQI of 349 at 7 am on Thursday, keeping the capital in the “very poor” category for nearly two weeks.

As per the CPCB, an AQI between 301 and 400 falls under the “very poor” category, while levels above 400 are classified as “severe.”
Select The Times of India as your preferred source on Google Search