Delhi recorded a "very poor" air quality index of 364 on Wednesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board, which categorizes readings below 50 as good. The Swiss group IQAir ranked Delhi as the world's most polluted city in its live rankings.
The city faces toxic air issues each winter, with authorities attributing much of the smoke to farmers illegally burning paddy stubble to clear fields in the nearby states of Punjab and Haryana. The Supreme Court criticized both state governments for their "selective action" against stubble burning, stating that penal provisions are not being properly enforced.
The court emphasized that these issues go beyond mere law enforcement and represent blatant violations of fundamental rights, insisting that governments must address how they will protect citizens' right to live with dignity. It directed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's federal government to look into a proposal from Punjab for additional funds to provide tractors and diesel to farmers with land holdings of "less than 10 acres."
As temperatures drop each year, Delhi is shrouded in a toxic haze, with cold, heavy air trapping vehicle emissions, construction dust, and smoke. Although the Supreme Court has previously addressed this matter, experts note that its directives have not been effectively implemented.
On Wednesday, the court ordered the federal government and the governments of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to submit compliance reports. Air pollution disrupts the lives of citizens across various parts of South Asia each winter, and a study has shown that toxic air can reduce life expectancy by more than five years.
In Pakistan's most populous province of Punjab, authorities have adjusted school timings and suspended outdoor activities due to pollution. IQAir ranked the provincial capital, Lahore, as the world's second-most polluted city on Wednesday. "All these steps are being taken to protect children from smog," stated Marriyam Aurangzeb, a senior minister in Pakistan's Punjab.