SC seeks report from Punjab, Haryana on stubble burning, air pollution
The Supreme Court has asked Punjab and Haryana to detail steps taken to curb stubble burning as Delhi's air quality worsens, with the court set to hear the matter again on Monday
 "SC seeks report from Punjab, Haryana on stubble burning, air pollution")
The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a status report from Punjab and Haryana governments on the steps taken to contain stubble burning. The apex court was hearing a batch of pleas regarding air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region. The top court directed both the states to furnish reports outlining the preventive and enforcement measures being implemented against stubble burning.
Appearing for one of the applicants, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan told a Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran that the air quality levels had crossed 450 in several parts of the city and that construction activity was continuing, including within the Supreme Court premises.
He argued that while the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had triggered Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the worsening conditions warranted immediate activation of Stage IV.
During the hearing, one lawyer drew the court’s attention to concerns about the reliability of data from air quality monitoring stations, alleging that some uploaded figures were false. Responding to this, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), informed the Bench that a status report had already been filed, and that officers were present to clarify the position. She suggested that the matter be taken up the next day, but the Bench decided to list it for Monday instead.
Amicus Curiae Aparajita Singh urged the court to treat the matter with urgency, noting that pollution levels were reaching “hazardous” limits. She also highlighted new concerns flagged by a Nasa scientist, who reportedly found that farmers were timing stubble burning to avoid satellite detection.
Singh also referred to media reports indicating that local administrations had advised farmers to burn residue at specific times, raising doubts about the accuracy of stubble-burning data.
“If this analysis is correct, the official count may not reflect the true extent of burning,” she cautioned, adding that the 2018 order requiring CAQM intervention when the Air Quality Index (AQI) crosses 400 should be revisited.