SC slams Delhi pollution inaction: 'Be proactive, not reactive'; seeks action plan details from CAQM

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Supreme Court on Monday took a tough stand on the air pollution in Delhi-NCR, which has reached lethal levels. The court sought an affidavit from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and asked what concrete steps have been taken so far to curb pollution. The apex court reprimanded officials, saying they should not take action only when the situation worsens, but rather prepare in advance so that the situation does not become serious.

During the hearing, senior advocate Aparajita Singh, assisting the court as amicus curiae, made a startling revelation. She told the bench that only nine of Delhi's 37 air quality monitoring stations were continuously operational during Diwali.

Singh said that if the monitoring stations do not function properly, it will be difficult to decide when the 'Graded Response Action Plan' (GRAP) needs to be implemented.

A bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran said the commission must explain what proactive steps it has taken to prevent pollution from reaching “serious levels”.

The court ordered the CAQM to file a detailed affidavit detailing the actions already taken and proposed in the future. The court stated clearly that agencies must adopt the practice of “pre-emptive preparation” rather than merely “reacting.”

When the counsel appearing for CAQM said that it was the responsibility of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to monitor pollution data, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati assured the court that all the concerned agencies would file their reports soon.