According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board, India’s capital city, Delhi, had an appalling Air Quality Index (AQI) of 364, placing it in the “very poor” category. For context, the AQI considers readings less than 50 to be “good,” emphasising the severity of the pollution levels. The Swiss organisation IQ Air named Delhi the most polluted city in the world in its live air quality rankings, a dubious status that the city contends with every winter. Farmers in neighbouring states like Punjab and Haryana burn stubble yearly, contributing to harmful air. Farmers resort to burning rice stubble, which emits large amounts of smoke into Delhi, compounding the city’s air quality concerns. The Supreme Court of India has taken note of the situation and chastised state governments for what it termed “selective action” against violators, claiming that a pollution-free environment is a fundamental right, and punitive measures were not being effectively enforced.

Government and Court Reactions to the Crisis

The Supreme Court has made it clear that a pollution-free environment is a fundamental right, and the air pollution situation is more than just a failure to enforce existing regulations; it is a violation of fundamental human rights. The Supreme Court also instructed the federal government to consider a request presented by Punjab for additional funds to help farmers with tractors and diesel. This would provide a cleaner alternative for small-scale farmers—those with fewer than 10 acres of land—who use stubble burning as the most cost-effective technique of clearing their crops.

On Wednesday, the court ordered the governments of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to submit compliance reports outlining their efforts to fight pollution.

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The Broader Impact of Air Pollution in South Asia

Air pollution affects millions of people throughout South Asia every winter, not just in Delhi. Studies depict that exposure to hazardous air can shorten life expectancy in afflicted regions by more than five years. This emphasises the critical necessity for local and regional collaboration in addressing the underlying causes of air pollution. While stubble burning remains a significant source, other factors, like automobile emissions, industrial pollution, and construction dust, play a part.

Given the severity of the current situation, punitive measures will not suffice. A concerted effort must be made to adopt long-term solutions that combine farmers’ economic realities with the public’s entitlement to safe air. Millions of people’s health depends on it.

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