Why has the Supreme Court failed to curb air pollution in Delhi?
Executive failure means the court has stepped in to try and control pollution in the capital. But is it the correct instrument for the problem at hand?
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As part of what has now become an annual ritual during the winter months, the Supreme Court has over the last six weeks pulled up various government authorities for not doing enough to curb air pollution in the National Capital Region.
In October, the court reprimanded the governments of Punjab, Haryana as well as the Centre for failing to stop stubble burning. This month, it picked up the issue of firecrackers, criticising Delhi for failing to implements the Supreme Court’s ban.
There is a weary familiarity about these proceedings. The court’s activity around pollution starts in autumn, continues through winter and packs up by February. However, pollution in Delhi remains unmoved by this clockwork-like judicial activity.
Why has the Supreme Court been so ineffective in curbing air pollution in the capital? According to experts that Scroll spoke with, it is a combination of two factors: the court’s orders not being implemented on the ground and the judiciary not being suited to manage something as complex as the environment. There was consensus among experts, though, that executive authorities that are actually supposed to manage air pollution have utterly failed to do so.
Four decades in court
The Supreme Court has been attempting to solve Delhi’s air pollution crisis for nearly 40 years. It started in 1984, when...
