The Supreme Court on Thursday highlighted the alarming air quality in Delhi, describing the situation as “very serious” and urging lawyers to attend hearings virtually instead of appearing in person. The national capital woke up to another day of hazardous smog, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) remaining in the ‘severe’ category for the third consecutive day and readings surpassing 400 at multiple monitoring stations.
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Virtual Hearings Recommended Amid Severe Pollution
“Situation is very very serious! Why are you all appearing here? We have the virtual hearing facility. Please avail it. This pollution will cause permanent damage,” the apex court said, reported Bar and Bench. The comments came from a Bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Atul S Chandrukar, amid Delhi’s deteriorating air quality.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, present in court, noted that many lawyers were already wearing masks. To this, Justice Narasimha responded, “Even masks are not enough. It will not suffice. We will discuss with the Chief Justice as well.”
Delhi Air Quality: ‘Severe’ Across Multiple Areas
Out of Delhi’s 37 air quality monitoring stations, 27 recorded ‘severe’ AQI levels on Thursday. Some of the worst-affected areas included Burari (433), Chandni Chowk (455), Anand Vihar (431), Mundka (438), Bawana (460), and Wazirpur (452). According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), AQI readings between 401–500 fall under the ‘severe’ category, which can impact even healthy individuals and seriously affect those with pre-existing conditions.
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Delhi recorded its first ‘severe’ air quality day of the season on Tuesday, with an AQI of 428, the first such reading since December 2024. On Wednesday, a Bench led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran questioned the Punjab and Haryana governments about steps taken to curb stubble burning, a major contributor to pollution in the Indo-Gangetic plains. |
