"Judiciary Has No Magic Wand To Solve Delhi Pollution Problem": Top Court

The Supreme Court remarked on Thursday that it has no magic wand to solve the pollution problem in the Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region). A bench comprising CJI (Chief Justice of India) Surya Kant and Justice Joymala Bagchi was hearing a request for an urgent hearing by the court-appointed lawyer, Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, in the Delhi air pollution matter.

The bench said that all reasons for the worsening air quality should be identified.  "We are also residents of Delhi-NCR; we also face this hazard (bad air quality), but we must acknowledge that there is no one reason for this problem," the bench said.

"What magic wand can a judicial forum exercise? I know this is hazardous for Delhi NCR... Tell me what we can direct so that we can make some directions and there is clean air immediately," it added. 

The bench's remarks came after Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh said that the annual pollution problem in Delhi-NCR was a health emergency. Singh told the Supreme Court that there were solutions on paper, but nothing was happening on the ground. 

The bench flagged the pattern of the issue of severe pollution levels being revived only during peak winter months. "This matter is listed in a ceremonial way during the Diwali season. After winters, it disappears. Let us have regular monitoring," CJI Kant said, assuring that the top court would now take up the matter "on a continuous basis."

"List this on Monday (December 1), and let us see what we can do," he added.