‘Think of practical solution’: Supreme Court tells Rekha Gupta-led Delhi govt as air turns deadly

New Delhi: Taking a serious note of the severe air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a slew of directions and asked the NHAI and the MCD to consider either temporary closing or relocating the nine toll plazas at borders of the national capital to ease usual massive traffic congestion. The top court described the pollution crisis as an "annual feature" and called for pragmatic and practical solutions to tackle the menace. It, however, refused to interfere with the Delhi government's decision to close schools for students from nursery to Class 5, holding that no further tinkering was required as the winter break was already approaching. In an effort to ease vehicular congestion at Delhi's borders, a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to consider shifting or temporarily closing nine toll plazas located at entry points to the capital. The MCD was specifically directed to take a decision within one week on whether these toll plazas could be shut temporarily to facilitate smoother traffic flow and reduce vehicular emissions.

The bench underscored the need for effective implementation of existing measures rather than merely framing protocols that remain not complied with. "Let us think of pragmatic and practical solutions of the menace," the Chief Justice remarked, noting that while preventive mechanisms exist, their enforcement has been consistently weak. Taking note of the impact of pollution-related restrictions on livelihood, the bench directed the Delhi government to urgently verify construction workers rendered idle due to curbs and ensure that financial assistance is directly transferred to their bank accounts. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Delhi government, informed the bench that around 7,000 workers have so far been verified out of nearly 2.5 lakh registered construction workers, and assured that money would be transferred to their accounts directly. However, the bench cautioned against any leakages in the process, observing that "it should not be that money transferred to workers’ accounts disappears or travels to another account". It also asked the Delhi government to consider providing alternative work to construction workers who are unable to earn due to restrictions imposed to curb pollution. Observing that air pollution has become a recurring phenomenon every winter, the bench directed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to revisit and strengthen its long-term strategies. It also asked CAQM and NCR governments to examine critical issues such as urban mobility, traffic management, and incentivising farmers to prevent stubble burning, stressing that piecemeal approaches would not resolve the crisis. The bench has now listed the PIL filed by environmentalist M C Mehta for further direction on January 6 and reiterated that this plea has to be heard at least twice in a month around the year.