Supreme Court doesn’t have a magic wand to control Delhi’s pollution : CJI Surya Kant

Pollution issue raised only during Diwali every year – will now be heard throughout the year

New Delhi – The citizens of India’s capital, New Delhi, are suffering greatly due to severe pollution. Several petitions regarding this issue are pending before the Supreme Court. During the hearing of one such petition on 27 November, the bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant asked, “Is there any magic wand we can wave that will make Delhi’s pollution disappear instantly? This problem has many dimensions.”

Important observations recorded by the Court

1. This problem does not have a single cause, and the judiciary does not possess any instant magical solution. Since the issue directly affects the lives of every citizen, it must be addressed with sustained attention rather than treated as a mere formality.

2. When the amicus curiae described the air quality in the capital as “a public health emergency,” the Chief Justice responded, “What magic wand is the Court expected to use? Can we issue any order today that will instantly give people clean air?”

3. The decline in air quality is the result of multiple factors, and it is the responsibility of experts to prescribe solutions for each of these factors. The matter resurfaces every year around Diwali and then fades away. Now, the Court will conduct hearings on it regularly throughout the year.

4. The Chief Justice added, “Even I suffered from the impact of poor air quality. Just a day earlier, after walking for an hour, I felt that my health had deteriorated.”