EVEN as Punjab and Haryana are grappling with the seasonal menace of stubble burning, the Supreme Court has sought a report from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on the steps being taken for controlling air pollution in and around Delhi. The CAQM, a statutory body tasked with implementing the Central Government’s Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to combat air pollution in Delhi-NCR during the winter season, had reported a ‘sudden decline’ in air quality parameters in the region last week, with Delhi’s air quality index entering the ‘poor’ category. Consequently, Stage I of GRAP kicked in, with the CAQM directing authorities in the NCR to enforce a ban on coal usage in hotels and restaurants and take punitive measures against polluting industries and thermal power plants.

Air pollution in Delhi-NCR is partly aggravated during October-November by the burning of crop residue, but there are several contributory factors which persist throughout the year. These include road traffic, ongoing work at construction and demolition sites and the use of petroleum coke by various industries. The apex court had on Tuesday asked the CAQM to take a holistic view of the import and distribution of highly polluting petroleum coke so as to strike a balance between the needs of industries and the imperatives of a clean environment.

The CAQM clearly has its work cut out, even as state governments need to be proactive in curbing stubble burning. In Haryana, the authorities are planning to deprive erring farmers of the benefits of government schemes; a database of habitual violators is also on the anvil. A political blame game, like the one involving BJP-ruled Haryana and AAP-governed Delhi, will serve no public purpose. The Centre and various states need to work in close coordination for the sake of the health of the people. After all, the Supreme Court has repeatedly asserted that the right to live in a pollution-free environment is part of the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

This article was first published in The Tribune, India