The Supreme Court has remarked that it cannot single-handedly resolve Delhi’s worsening air-pollution crisis, emphasizing that the issue requires scientific expertise rather than judicial intervention. During the hearing, the Bench noted that the court has “no magic wand” to fix a problem of this scale, and that only specialists and environmental scientists are equipped to identify solutions that will genuinely make a difference.
The judges highlighted that Delhi’s pollution cannot be attributed to one isolated cause. Instead, it stems from several interconnected factors that must be examined comprehensively. They stressed that real progress is impossible until all contributing reasons are understood, and insisted that a simplistic approach would not help in tackling a problem that resurfaces year after year.
The Court also pointed out that monitoring air quality only during the pollution peak, such as around the Diwali period, is insufficient. Effective control requires continuous oversight throughout the year, along with systematic evaluation of how various sources—industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, stubble burning, construction dust interact to worsen air quality.
Reiterating the limits of judicial power, the Bench stated that passing directions alone cannot clean the air. Long-term, evidence-based policies must be designed and implemented by government bodies, technical experts, and environmental authorities who are responsible for managing pollution control mechanisms on the ground.
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