Days after the Supreme Court reprimanded the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for its inaction, the central government panel has launched ‘flying squads’ to tackle stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana. The initiative is aimed at curbing the seasonal air pollution that engulfs Delhi and its surrounding areas every winter.
These squads will work with state anti-pollution bodies and target 16 districts in Punjab and 10 in Haryana, both states contributing significantly to the toxic smog that worsens air quality in the capital. The move comes just ahead of Haryana’s Assembly election this weekend.
On Friday, Supreme Court Justices Abhay S Oka and AG Masih criticized the CAQM for its “total non-compliance” with existing laws meant to address pollution. The court was particularly unimpressed by the panel’s inaction, questioning the effectiveness of its meetings and the lack of concrete steps to mitigate pollution.
This winter, Delhi is once again bracing for hazardous air quality levels, which routinely reach the ‘severe’ category, with AQI (Air Quality Index) levels often exceeding 500. Last week, Delhi’s air quality dipped to 235, entering the ‘poor’ category for the first time in nearly four months. Vehicular emissions were cited as a major contributor.
In response, the Delhi government has rolled out a ‘winter action plan,’ which includes 21 measures such as sprinkling water on roads to reduce dust pollution. However, the annual crisis also triggers political sparring, with Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) blaming neighboring states like Haryana (ruled by BJP) for failing to curb stubble burning, while the BJP accuses Delhi of mishandling local pollution sources.
Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai recently emphasized the need for collaboration to solve the city’s pollution woes and urged the central government to permit cloud seeding to artificially induce rainfall, which could help disperse the toxic smog.
As winter approaches, the effectiveness of these new ‘flying squads’ will be crucial in determining whether the capital can avoid the suffocating pollution that has become an annual phenomenon.
