Air Pollution: Supreme Court seeks Delhi AQI data for duration of Odd-Even Scheme

While hearing matters concerning air pollution in Delhi, the Supreme Court today directed the Delhi government to furnish day-to-day Air Quality Index (AQI) data pertaining to the capital till November 14..The Bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta sought this data from the date on which the Odd-Even Scheme in Delhi was introduced. Similarly, day-to-day AQI data for the period between October 1 and December 31, 2018 has also been sought by the Court..The direction was issued while hearing a matter concerning air pollution in Delhi NCR and other parts of Northern India..When the Bench took up the matter earlier, it had asked the Delhi government to explain the rationale behind implementing the Odd-Even Scheme. This was in view of the submission that two-wheelers, three-wheelers and taxis had been exempted from the purview of the scheme. The data sought has been sought to assess if the scheme had helped in bringing the pollution levels down..The Special Bench had taken up the issue of air pollution in North India, and specifically the hazardous situation in Delhi, on November 4. It had pulled up the Centre and the Delhi government for their inaction on the air pollution choking the national capital and surrounding areas..The air quality index in Delhi and other parts of Northern India has crossed hazardous and toxic levels, the Court had noted at the time. It further observed that “no room in Delhi is safe”. Despite installing air purifiers, the PM 2.5 levels were at 500 and 600, indicating a grim situation..The Bench had also passed a number of directions to tackle the issue of stubble burning, a major cause of the air pollution plaguing Delhi NCR and other regions in North India..Meanwhile, in the PIL challenging the introduction of the Odd-Even Scheme, the same Bench has issued notice to the Delhi government. The Court will hear matters relating to air pollution in Delhi and adjoining areas again on November 15.