Supreme Court directs Delhi and neighboring states to submit action plans on vehicular pollution

NEW DELHI — The Supreme Court has directed the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, along with key municipal and law enforcement agencies, to submit a detailed action plan within two weeks to address worsening vehicular pollution in the National Capital Region.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana issued the directive during hearings addressing the capital region’s deteriorating air quality. The court’s instructions cover vehicular movement, emission standards, compliance criteria and procedures, and strict enforcement of Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate regulations.

The judicial intervention comes as authorities grapple with severe air quality deterioration across Delhi-NCR. In response to the crisis, the Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan ahead of Diwali, implementing a revised framework that includes a 10-point action plan for the region. This framework mandates restrictions on older and high-emission vehicles, bans dust-generating construction, shuts down stone crushers and mining operations, and introduces hybrid classes for students up to Class V alongside work-from-home options for offices.

The Supreme Court’s order specifically targets the Delhi government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the Delhi Police traffic department, and the administrative bodies of the three neighbouring states. Authorities are required to provide comprehensive details regarding actions taken against aging or non-compliant vehicles, including the total number of vehicles inspected and challans issued.

The matter is scheduled for its next hearing on November 23, by which time the requested compliance and enforcement plans must be submitted.