Taking serious note of severe air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to consider temporarily closing or relocating nine toll plazas at the capital’s borders to ease traffic congestion and reduce vehicular emissions.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant described the pollution crisis as an “annual feature” and stressed the need for pragmatic and practical solutions, instead of measures that remain poorly enforced.

The court asked the MCD to take a decision within one week on whether the toll plazas at entry points to Delhi could be shut temporarily to ensure smoother traffic flow.

“Let us think of pragmatic and practical solutions of the menace,” the Chief Justice observed, underlining that while preventive mechanisms exist, implementation has been consistently weak.

The apex court, however, refused to interfere with the Delhi government’s decision to close schools for students from nursery to Class 5 due to pollution, noting that no further tinkering was required as the winter break was already approaching.

Relief for construction workers

Taking note of the impact of pollution-related curbs on livelihoods, the Bench directed the Delhi government to urgently verify construction workers rendered idle due to restrictions and ensure that financial assistance is directly transferred to their bank accounts.

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Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Delhi government, informed the court that around 7,000 workers had so far been verified out of nearly 2.5 lakh registered construction workers, and assured that money would be transferred directly to their accounts.

The court, however, cautioned against leakages in the process.
“It should not be that money transferred to workers’ accounts disappears or travels to another account,” the Bench said.

The Delhi government was also asked to explore alternative work for construction workers who are unable to earn due to pollution curbs.

Long-term strategy

Observing that air pollution has become a recurring winter phenomenon, the court directed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to revisit and strengthen its long-term strategies.

It asked CAQM and NCR governments to examine key issues such as urban mobility, traffic management, and incentivising farmers to prevent stubble burning, stressing that piecemeal approaches would not resolve the crisis.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by environmentalist M.C. Mehta, which it said must be taken up at least twice a month throughout the year.

The matter has now been listed for further directions on 6 January.

In 2023, air pollution claimed 2 million lives in India