Read Time: 06 minutes

The Central government has informed the Supreme Court that in order to review the current air quality scenario, an urgent review meeting of the Commission for Air Quality Management was convened on November 14, 2021 wherein it impressed upon the Senior Officers of all States involved, the need for extra vigilance and concerted measures in various sectors that immediately and adversely impact the air quality.

The Commission is a statutory body formed under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021 which recently received the presidential assent in August 2021.

The top court has been further told that while responding to the emergent situation and the consultations in the meeting, the state of Haryana has also issued directions for closure of schools and work from home.

In its affidavit, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has further stated that the Commission, in anticipation of the adverse air quality scenario that generally prevails during the winter months in Delhi-NCR, convened a special preparatory meeting on
September 20, 2021, with the Chief Secretary of Government of NCT of Delhi and advised it to take appropriate measures.

Furthermore, the Ministry has placed on record a letter issued by GNCTD yesterday along with an action taken report stating that immediate steps had been taken.

Filed through Joint Secretary Naresh Pal Gangwar, the affidavit adds,

"...that Director, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun, Member of the Commission, informed that the adverse air quality scenario in Delhi-NCR, besides paddy stubble burning and other local factors, was also greatly impacted by a dust storm moving into Delhi-NCR from the South-westerly directions of the Thar desert and brought in huge quantities of dust raising the PM2.5 /PM10 levels. Significantly. It was also informed that the effect has since begun to subside."

Centre has further stated that concerted efforts have been initiated by the state governments of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan as per the directions issued by the Court and well as other statutory bodies.

A detailed list of the long-term measures undertaken by the authorities to help with the AQI is also mentioned while adding that such measures have increased the number of Good, Satisfactory and Moderate days on a year to year basis since 2016. In this regard, the affidavit states,

" for the period 01 January, 2021 to 13 November 2021 in comparison to 2016 (01 January to 13 November), the number of ‘Good’, ‘Satisfactory’ and ‘Moderate’ days have increased to 197 in 2021 against 108 in 2016, and the number of ‘Poor’, ‘Very Poor’, and ‘Severe’ days decreased to 120 in 2021 against 198 in 2016."

Referring to the problems of stubble burning that happens for two months in the entire year, the affidavit adds,

"Similarly during these two months, few festivals like Dusshera and Diwali also contribute in deterioration of air quality if crackers are burst. Both these contributing factors incidentally coincide during the said period of time as a result of which its impact is felt more severe and the Air Quality Index grows up in winter months."