APEX COURT MUST REVISIT RULINGS ON ENVIRONMENT LAWS

LAST week, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, sitting with Justice Joymala Bagchi, delivered a reminder that the Court does not have a “magic wand” to clear Delhi's air.

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The Bench underscored that the capital’s pollution crisis can be addressed only through scientific identification of each contributing factor, vehicular emissions, industrial activity, construction dust, waste burning, seasonal stubble smoke, and other regional influences.

The judges stressed that without a precise identification of sources and a corresponding evidence-based action plan, the annual winter smog will continue unabated. Equally important was the Bench’s emphasis on the role of domain experts, scientific bodies, and technical institutions in shaping long-term solutions.

The court called for continuous monitoring, coordinated action across jurisdictions, and strict accountability from implementing agencies. The message was clear that the capital’s air emergency requires a governance model that is steady, transparent, and resistant to political or administrative oscillation. It is in this context that two orders of the Supreme Court earlier this year merit a careful, dispassionate review.