Context In recentaffidavits filed by the Centre and the Delhi Government to the Supreme Court, it has been highlighted that farm fires/stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh contributed to only 10% of the pollution.
Key takeaways
Urban factors as major cause: Urban factors such as construction activities, industry, vehicular exhaust and road dust were actually the major causes of pollution in Delhi and not farmers’ stubble burning.
In the previous hearing, the court had questioned the narrow focus of the Centre and the Delhi Government on farmers.
Firm commitment needed: The SC, while insisting that stubble burning was not the major cause, urged the Centre, Delhi and the States towards a firm commitment to act against pollution.
Too few mechanised road sweepers: SC was shocked to realise that Delhi had only 69 mechanised road sweepers to cover all the streets of the Capital.
Urgent meeting: The court directed the Centre to call an urgent meeting in 24 hours with Punjab, Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to craft urgent and effective anti-pollution measures and their implementation.
The court also asked the Centre, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to introduce work from home for now.