Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Nov 10: In a case that sought a comprehensive ban on stubble burning in order to reduce air pollution in Delhi and other north Indian States, the Supreme Court on Thursday declined to give an urgent hearing.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud was informed of the situation, but the CJI stated that these are not matters that absolutely fall under the purview of the judiciary.
“So will the ban help it? Some matters courts can look into and some it cannot since they are not judicially amenable,” the CJI remarked.
He, therefore, refused to list the matter on priority.
“We have heard you and it wont be taken up now,” he said.
For many years, the national capital’s air quality has been a source of concern. In Delhi and the neighbouring States, the air quality index, which measures air quality, reaches dangerously high levels in the months of October, November, etc.
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Many farmers in the northern Indian states burn the straw stubble left over after harvesting crops between October and November. The burning of the stubble is said to play a significant factor in the decline in quality because of the unusual wind and soil conditions during these months.
Last week, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition asking for the court’s immediate intervention to stop Delhi’s rising levels of air pollution.
A petitioner who was present in person and claimed that “Delhi was choking” made the argument before a bench consisting of the then CJI UU Lalit and Bela M Trivedi. The court agreed to list the case for hearing on November 10, 2022, despite the bench’s reservations about hearing the case and asking the petitioner whether a petition under Article 32 of the Constitution was the appropriate route.
