Pollution lockdown? WFH? Delhi mulls ways to tackle air quality crisis

With air quality
in Delhi plummeting to record levels, the Supreme Court said Monday that central
and state governments should consider work-from-home for their employees.
Schools in Delhi have already been announced shut by the government. The
Supreme Court further called upon governments to convince farmers to stop
burning crop stubble in order to improve the air quality of Delhi and
surrounding areas. Here’s all you need to know about the Supreme Court’s
observations on the Delhi pollution crisis.

‘Crisis
situation’

Supreme Court
judges said that Delhi’s air pollution was in crisis mode and strongly observed
that the government could not keep coming up with “lame excuses” and “passing
the buck”. The court called upon the central and state government to take
urgent measures instead of focusing on long-term goals right now.

Pollution
lockdown in Delhi

After COVID-19,
now pollution threatens to shut down Delhi. The Delhi government told the Supreme
Court Monday that it was ready to impose a lockdown to curb air pollution. However,
the government also told the court that imposing a lockdown in Delhi will have
a limited effect and neighbouring areas will also have to impose similar
restrictions to have an impact.

Beyond
stubble burning

Solicitor General
Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court Monday that crop stubble burning is
responsible for less than 10% of the emissions that have caused the current uptick
in pollution in Delhi. Stubble burning in nearby agricultural lands is often
considered the biggest reason behind Delhi’s air pollution. The Solicitor
General’s submission before the apex court showed that there are reasons beyond
stubble burning that need to be curbed.  

Children back
home

Listing steps the
Delhi government has taken to curb air pollution, the government lawyer told
the Supreme Court that no physical classes will be held in the capital’s
schools this week and construction sites have been barred from operating.