‘Not inclined to entertain any objections’: SC gives agencies 4 weeks to act on Delhi-NCR pollution measures

Hearing it on January 6, the Supreme Court had noted that there was a difference of opinion among experts about the principal causes of air pollution, and had asked CAQM to identify the causes, determine how much each contributes, and then plan long-term solutions to address them. The court asked CAQM to convene a meeting of experts in two weeks and apprise it about the deliberations.

In its status report presented Wednesday, CAQM said it had accordingly “shortlisted a panel of experts from IITs, academia, research institutes, NGOs and other reputed institutes for the identification of causes and the attribution of various pollution sources and these experts held series of meetings of the experts, coordinated by a full-time independent technical member, CAQM, on 08.01.2026, 09.01.2026, 12.01.2026, and 13.01.2026.”

It added that “to expedite this process, the experts, integrated and analysed existing research findings and data from various research papers and technical reports to develop a broad understanding and arrive at a unanimous view, deliberated to identify and validate the specific causes contributing to deterioration of the Air Quality Index in Delhi-NCR and estimated the proportional contributions of various pollution sources, undertaking a meta-analysis to reach a consensus”.

The experts, it said, considered rational and guiding principles, trends in air quality, methods to ascertain the sources of air pollution, and identification of dominant sources of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, among others.

Appearing for CAQM, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati said it had identified vehicular pollution as contributing the most to the worsening Air Quality Index (AQI).

Toll plaza congestion a concern

The Supreme Court had earlier also asked the Commission to respond to the National Highway Authority of India’s (NHAI) contention that traffic congestion at nine toll plazas run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was contributing to air pollution.

On this, the Commission said MCD “should ensure installation and full operationalisation of a barrier-free Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) system, integrated with RFID and Automatic Number Plate, Recognition (ANPR), at all 126 toll collection points by October 2026, with a view to avoiding vehicular stoppage and reducing congestion at Delhi’s border entry points”.

It recommended that if this was not done by the stipulated timeline, the MCD may, be directed to restrict toll collection at the nine identified toll plazas only from vehicles liable to pay ECC [Environment Compensation Charge] during the peak winter months from November to January, which generally see monthly average AQI of more than 300 and “all other vehicles passing through these nine identified toll plazas” during this period “may be exempted from payment of toll….until MLFF becomes fully operational.”

CAQM suggests measures to improve AQI

As part of long-term measures to improve AQI, the Commission called, among others, for time-bound phasing out of polluting vehicles, advanced emissions surveillance with remote sensing devices, more Metro and RRTS lines, review and revision of Electric Vehicle (EV) policies to accelerate the transition of all vehicles to zero tailpipe emission vehicles, expeditious expansion of EV charging infrastructure, more e-buses and CNG buses etc.

It also sought measures to abate dust pollution from construction and demolition activities, management of dust from roads and right of ways, measures for abatement of industrial pollution, no new thermal power plant within 300 km of Delhi, steps to check open biomass/municipal solid waste burning and fires at sanitary landfill sites, prevention and control of stubble burning, improving greening and plantation in NCR, and strengthening air quality governance.

ASG Bhati also said that agencies have been identified that can provide an ECC fund to ensure the smooth implementation of the measures.

Amicus Curiae Senior Advocate Aprajita Singh said many of the measures were suggested in the past too and urged the bench to fix timelines for implementing the recommendations.

The Supreme Court had earlier pulled up the Commission for “failing in performing its duty” and observed that it “appears to be in no hurry either in identifying the definite causes of worsening AQI (in Delhi-NCR) or their long-term solution”.

In its status report, the Commission said that “through sustained policy formulation, adoption of whole-of-government approach, coordinated planning & actions, expert-driven interventions, rigorous monitoring and enforcement”, it has made “significant and continuous efforts” to combat air pollution in Delhi-NCR.

“The initiatives undertaken by the Commission since its inception reflect a systematic, evidence-based and collaborative approach aimed at achieving long-term improvement in the air quality of the region,” it added.