The Supreme Court has directed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to furnish a detailed report on non-functional air quality monitoring stations in Delhi, amid aggravated pollution levels in the National Capital Region.
The direction came after the Court was informed that a large number of monitoring stations in the city are not operational.
The Bench questioned how authorities could effectively enforce the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) without reliable real-time air quality data.
Court Questions Functioning of Monitoring Network
Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, assisting the Court, submitted that the CAQM must take proactive steps before the air quality slips into the “severe” category and should file an affidavit urgently.
“They have to act before it becomes severe… There are news reports that the monitoring stations are not working. If the stations are not functioning, we won’t know when to implement GRAP. Let them respond on what the situation is,” Singh said, pointing out that during Diwali, only 9 out of 37 stations were reportedly functional.
Singh further pressed, “If that’s the case, how will we know when to implement GRAP?”
Bench Directs Immediate Action
Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai directed the CAQM and CPCB to submit details of the preventive measures being undertaken, including the current operational status of monitoring stations and steps to address deficiencies.
Counsel for the CAQM informed the Court that the CPCB maintains the monitoring data and will file the requisite report, while the CAQM has already submitted one regarding preventive measures.
The Court clarified that both agencies are required to report on the functioning of the stations and outline measures to prevent further deterioration of air quality.
Delhi’s Air Quality Still ‘Very Poor’
On Monday, a dense haze enveloped Delhi, with the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) at 316, placing it in the “very poor” category, according to CPCB data. Most monitoring stations recorded AQI values above 300.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported Delhi’s minimum temperature at 17.9°C—1.9°C above normal—with a maximum temperature forecast near 30°C and misty conditions prevailing.
