New Delhi: As the national capital continues to battle alarming levels of air pollution, the Supreme Court on Thursday expressed grave concern over the deteriorating air quality in Delhi, noting that the situation was “very serious”. The Bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar observed that even wearing masks offers little protection from the hazardous air, urging lawyers to appear for hearings virtually instead of attending court in person.
“The 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,” Justice Narasimha remarked. The comment came after Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal pointed out that most lawyers were wearing masks in the courtroom. “Even masks are not enough. It will not suffice,” Justice Narasimha responded, adding that the Bench would discuss the issue with the Chief Justice of India.
The observations come as Delhi’s air quality has plunged into the “severe” category for the third consecutive day. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 404 on Thursday morning, with 27 out of 37 monitoring stations recording “severe” levels. Areas such as Bawana (460), Chandni Chowk (455), Anand Vihar (431), Mundka (438), and Wazirpur (452) were among the worst affected. The relatively better readings were recorded at NSIT Dwarka (216) and Pusa (302).
The thick layer of smog enveloping the city reduced visibility significantly, with the India Gate and Kartavya Path areas blanketed under dense haze. The morning temperature dipped to 10.6°C, around 2.9 degrees below normal, further trapping pollutants close to the ground and worsening air stagnation.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), in its latest assessment, recorded an AQI of 425 at 9 AM on Tuesday, following which it activated Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR. The nine-point emergency plan includes restrictions on construction activities, intensified road cleaning, and enhanced monitoring of emissions from industries and vehicles.
Despite these measures, the pollution levels remain dangerously high. The CAQM informed the Supreme Court that vehicular emissions continue to be the predominant contributor to PM2.5 levels in Delhi, while stubble burning in neighbouring states such as Punjab and Haryana remains a “serious concern.”
A separate Bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran is monitoring the broader issue of air pollution in Delhi. On Wednesday, the Bench had directed the Punjab and Haryana governments to submit status reports on actions taken to curb paddy stubble burning, a recurring cause of smog across the Indo-Gangetic plains. The court was informed that while farm fires in northern states currently contribute between 10 per cent to 30 per cent of Delhi’s pollution, local sources like vehicular and industrial emissions continue to aggravate the crisis.
Thursday marked the third consecutive day of “severe” air quality in Delhi, following the season’s first such day on Tuesday when the AQI had reached 428, the highest since December 2024.
The CPCB classifies air quality as “good” when the AQI is between 0-50, “satisfactory” between 51-100, and “severe” when it ranges between 401-500, a level that poses health risks even to healthy individuals and can severely impact those with existing respiratory or cardiac conditions.