Supreme Court slams CAQM over air pollution: ‘Unserious; in no hurry to identify cause or solution’

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sharply criticised the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) over its response to the ongoing air pollution crisis in the Delhi-NCR region, describing its approach as "unserious" and lacking urgency. The bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, expressed concern over the statutory body's failure to take decisive action, prompting the court to issue specific directives for immediate remedial steps.

During the hearing, the court instructed the CAQM to convene a joint meeting of domain experts as a matter of priority. The commission was ordered to prepare and submit a detailed report that clearly identifies the main contributors to air pollution and proposes comprehensive long-term solutions. The Supreme Court emphasised that this report should be placed both on record and made available to the public to ensure transparency and accountability in the process.

The bench remarked that the CAQM appeared to be in "no hurry" to either pinpoint the real causes of deteriorating air quality or develop strategies for sustainable improvement. This observation led the court to mandate an accelerated approach, requiring the commission to expedite its efforts in both identification and planning.

The Supreme Court questioned the prevalent tendency to attribute air pollution selectively to certain sectors such as heavy vehicles or agriculture. It warned that policy measures must rest on robust scientific data rather than assumptions, highlighting the importance of evidence-based decision-making for effective outcomes.

Chief Justice Surya Kant drew attention to the complexity of pollution sources, noting, "Have you been able to identify the causes? That is the main issue....during all these days, lot of material is coming in public domain, experts are writing articles, people are having opinions, they keep on sending to us on mail...heavy vehicles are contributing a large part, so the first question is how do we address that...in the NCR, there is very bad news of housing activities, constructions continue."

The court further observed it was simplistic to blame buses and trucks for air quality deterioration, asking how the public would manage daily commutes if public transportation were curtailed. The bench also remarked on the tendency to hold farmers responsible without fully evaluating the contributions of other sectors or activities.

Referring to the period of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court noted that although stubble burning remained at its peak, Delhi experienced clear skies, underscoring the need for a deeper, multifaceted analysis of pollution sources beyond commonly cited factors.

Emphasising its facilitative role, the court stated that while it does not claim to be a "super expert", it intends to provide a platform for informed discussion, ensuring that all relevant data is placed in the public domain and authorities detail how they will address the findings moving forward.