Hearing the Delhi-NCR air pollution crisis, the Supreme Court on Tuesday raised concerns over the selective attribution of air pollution causes, stressing that policy responses must be based on scientific evidence rather than assumptions.
The court observed that it was easy to blame buses and trucks for pollution, but questioned how the common man would commute if public transport were halted. It also noted that farmers often end up bearing the entire blame for pollution without adequate assessment of other contributing factors.
Referring to the Covid-19 pandemic period, the court pointed out that stubble burning was at its peak at the time, yet Delhi witnessed clear blue skies, indicating that pollution sources are more complex and need deeper analysis.
The bench stressed the need to first identify the actual reasons for pollution and then work towards effective solutions. It directed authorities to place these reasons in the public domain and clearly outline how they intend to address them.
The Chief Justice of India noted, “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 Supreme Court said an expert body should be tasked with identifying pollution sources and providing an estimated assessment of the maximum contributors. Making this information public would help citizens understand what experts believe are the real causes of pollution.
Clarifying its role, the court said it does not claim to be a super expert on the issue, but will provide a platform for informed deliberations to ensure transparent and accountable decision-making.
