Over the firecracker ban, the Supreme Court rapped the Delhi government, stating it was hardly implemented leading to worsening air quality in the national capital. The top court has directed the AAP government and Delhi Police Commissioner to file affidavits stating the steps taken to implement the ban this year and propose steps to ensure compliance with the ban next year within one week.
Delhi got the tag of the world’s most polluted city the morning after Diwali, according to the media reports. The air quality in many parts of Delhi breached the severe mark as PM2.5 concentration levels soared, creating hazardous conditions for respiratory health.
The Supreme Court said that the pollution level in Delhi in 2024 was at an all-time high, much higher than the previous two years. The top court has directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to file an affidavit telling the steps taken by the police to enforce the complete ban on the use of firecrackers in Delhi. The Supreme Court noted that the cases of stubble burning were also on the rise around Diwali. The top court directed the Punjab and Haryana governments to file affidavits indicating the details of the number of instances of stubble burning during the last ten days of October.
The Delhi government has also been asked to state whether there were cases of fire in farms within the limits of Delhi during the same period. A bench comprising Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih said they would also consider other pollution-causing agents, including transport pollution, pollution caused by the entry of heavy trucks and industrial pollution.
The matter would next be heard on November 14, said the Supreme Court. On Monday, the air quality took a turn for the worse as the AQI breached the 400 or ‘severe’ mark in several parts of the city. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), multiple monitoring stations recorded AQI levels above 400 at 7 a.m., including Anand Vihar (433), Wazirpur (414), Jahangirpuri (413), Rohini (409), and Punjabi Bagh (404).
On Sunday, Delhi recorded the season’s worst AQI reading of 382, worsening from 316 the previous day.
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