Supreme Court Seeks Long-Term Air Pollution Plan

The Supreme Court has asked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to find all major sources of air pollution within two weeks and submit long-term plans to control them. The court said the plans should cover different sectors and be carried out in stages.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said CAQM should bring together experts from various fields and hold discussions to come up with clear and practical solutions. The court said these solutions should be introduced slowly so that they do not affect people’s jobs, industries, or daily life.

The judges noted that pollution control efforts have failed earlier because different experts gave different opinions, and there was no single clear plan. This lack of focus caused confusion and poor implementation. The court stressed the need for one strong and unified strategy to deal with air pollution.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati asked for two months to prepare the plans. The court did not agree, saying the issue was too serious to delay. However, it gave CAQM two more weeks and asked it to submit the action plan by the 21st of this month.