After Supreme Court Rap, Delhi Air Pollution Panel's 'Flying Squads' Move

Days after a rap on the knuckles from the Supreme Court, the Commission for Air Quality Management - a central government panel to monitor air pollution and quality in Delhi - has swung into action, setting up 'flying squads' to stop Punjab and Haryana farmers from burning stubble, or agricultural waste.

These squads will liaise with state anti-pollution bodies and cover 16 districts in Punjab and 10 in Haryana, which votes in an Assembly election this weekend.

On Friday a bench of Supreme Court Justices Abhay S Oka and AG Masih made several pointed remarks as the threat of toxic clouds smothering the national capital and surrounding areas - a winter staple over the past several years, with a lack of breeze meaning vehicular pollution, dust from construction activities, and smog from farm fires blankets and chokes the city.

The top court slammed the CAQM for "total non-compliance" with the law.

"Have committees been constituted? Please show us a single step taken, which directions have you used... Just see the affidavit. Show us a single direction issued under S 12 and others," the court said, unimpressed when told the CAQM only meets once in three months.

READ | "Has Not Performed": Supreme Court Blasts Delhi Air Quality Panel

Air quality levels at this time of the year plummet to sickening lows; AQI levels routinely reach 500+ (the highest value to measure pollution levels) and respiratory illnesses increase.

And the warning signs are there for this year too.

Last week air quality levels in Delhi fell to 235 - in to the 'poor' category - for the first time in nearly four months. The CAQM blamed the vehicular traffic in Delhi.

The Delhi government, meanwhile, has unveiled a 'winter action plan', which includes 21 initiatives to combat air pollution levels. These measures include sprinkling water on roads.

READ | Delhi Government's "War" Plan To Combat Winter Air Pollution

The pollution crisis in the city is also an annual spat between the Aam Aadmi Party, which is in power in Delhi and Punjab, and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which is in power in neighbouring Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, with each side accusing the other of inaction.

Last month Delhi's Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, said the pollution problem in the city could only be solved through teamwork and then urged the central government to grant permission for cloud seeding to create artificial rainfall to disperse the clouds of toxic smog over Delhi.

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