Abhishek Vij
The extent to which environmental pollution has become a major concern not only for Delhi but for the entire country is evident from the Supreme Court’s statements on the matter. A few days ago, Chief Justice Surya Kant took cognisance of the health and deaths of citizens due to the suffocating air. He stated that even a 50-minute morning walk in Delhi is difficult because his own health deteriorated during the walk due to pollution.
The CJI also stated that this pollution crisis is not solely caused by stubble burning, although it may be a factor. The Supreme Court does not have a magic wand to solve this crisis. A permanent mechanism will have to be developed. Simply banning stubble burning or blaming a single state will not suffice. Now, on December 1st, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi again stated that the court cannot remain silent. Recognise the serious health crisis posed by air pollution and don’t view this hearing as a mere formality during the winter months. Simply banning stubble burning won’t suffice. Immediate and long-term solutions must be found to this national problem. He urged that the issue of stubble burning not be unnecessarily politicised or egotistical.
Explore the underlying causes. He pointed out that even during the COVID lockdown, stubble burning still left the sky clear and blue. Now, the same sky has become a cloud of smog and suffocation. It is wrong to place the blame for this crisis solely on farmers burning stubble. Comprehensive steps will be needed to address the threat of air pollution. This matter is under consideration.
The Supreme Court has scheduled December 10th for the hearing. Even if the AQI improves, the consideration should not be postponed, assuming the danger has been averted. The bench noted that air pollution is not limited to Delhi, but also Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. This is due to vehicular pollution, construction dust, road dust, and the burning of garbage and organic waste. Therefore, other causes besides stubble burning need to be addressed. Please submit a report on these other causes within a week. The Chief Justice stated that the issue will not be resolved simply by blaming farmers for stubble burning and punishing them. He also noted that unplanned urban development, the ambitions of a growing population, and the haphazard acceptance of modernity are also major causes.
Who would have imagined that, like today, every household would have multiple cars and that heaps of garbage would not be properly disposed of? There is talk of setting up waste disposal plants, but these plants are neither installed nor operated once installed. Everyone knows the solutions to eliminate environmental pollution, but they remain only on paper. As cities grow, environmental pollution has impacted the quality of life.
Hospitals are overflowing with patients. In our view, this is the first time such a serious advocacy has been made for a comprehensive investigation of the causes of environmental pollution. This will require many new steps. States are claiming that stubble burning cases are decreasing, so why is environmental pollution increasing exponentially each time? We need to consider why its widespread impact is being seen in many cities other than the capital. In this direction, new steps can be taken to address environmental pollution by leveraging artificial intelligence and growing digital power.