Supreme Court Questions Whether Stubble Burning Alone Causes Delhi’s Pollution

The Supreme Court questioned whether stubble burning alone can explain Delhi’s pollution, noting that during the COVID years, crop burning continued, but the skies remained clear. 

CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said it is “easy to blame farmers” who are not represented before the Court, and directed authorities to focus on other major contributors, such as vehicular emissions, construction dust, road dust, and biomass burning.

The Bench sought a detailed report within a week on measures taken to address these additional factors and said it will continue to monitor the matter, stressing the need for sustained long-term and short-term action plans rather than seasonal responses.

[M.C Mehta v. Union of India]