“Situation Extremely Serious! Don’t Come to Court, Even Masks Are Not Enough,” Says Supreme Court on Delhi Pollution

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed deep concern over the continuously rising air pollution levels in Delhi, calling the situation “extremely serious.” The Court warned that the current pollution could cause permanent health damage to residents.

A bench of Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar urged lawyers to avoid physical appearances in court and instead opt for virtual hearings through video conferencing (VC).

According to Bar and Bench, Justice Narasimha remarked, “The situation is very serious! Why are you all physically present here? We have the facility for virtual hearings—please use it. This pollution can cause permanent harm.”

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal responded, “We are wearing masks.” To this, Justice Narasimha said, “Masks are not enough. They won’t protect you adequately. We will discuss this matter with the Chief Justice as well.”

Delhi’s AQI Remains in ‘Severe’ Category for Third Day

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital remained in the ‘severe’ category for the third consecutive day on Thursday. A thick layer of smog and haze covered Delhi throughout the day.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) morning bulletin, the overall AQI was recorded at 404. Out of 37 monitoring stations, 27 reported ‘severe’ pollution levels. The most affected areas included Burari (433), Chandni Chowk (455), Anand Vihar (431), Mundka (438), Pusa (302), Bawana (460), and Wazirpur (452).

A day earlier, the bench headed by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran had sought detailed action reports from the Punjab and Haryana governments on measures taken to curb stubble burning, which is a major contributor to pollution in the NCR region.