The Supreme Court’s sharp intervention once again lays bare the institutional apathy that continues to haunt India’s fight against air pollution. With winter approaching and days of smog hovering over Delhi-NCR and adjoining states, the Court has directed the CAQM, the CPCB and state pollution control boards to come up with a comprehensive action plan within three weeks. The SC bench minced no words in pulling up Governments for their casual approach to this annual health emergency. What stands out is not just the rising pollution levels year after year but the alarming state of governance within institutions mandated to tackle it. Unfilled vacancies in pollution control boards across run into hundreds. The CAQM itself is understaffed. Such glaring shortages of manpower during peak seasons directly undermine any possibility of a consistent and effective fight against toxic air. The Court’s insistence on filling vacancies within three months is not a bureaucratic formality but a matter of survival for millions exposed to hazardous air quality.
In contrast, the approach of State Governments has been disappointingly reactive. Instead of building a systematic, year-round framework to combat pollution, authorities resort to knee-jerk measures-vehicular restrictions, construction bans, curbs on firecrackers, or last-minute firefighting against stubble burning. These stopgap responses neither address the root causes nor provide long-term relief. They only disrupt livelihoods, as seen when construction halts leave thousands of workers jobless, without ensuring lasting improvement in air quality. The Supreme Court’s concern is not only about cleaner air but also about accountability. For years, successive Governments have treated pollution as a seasonal inconvenience rather than a permanent public health emergency. The result is visible in the rising incidence of respiratory diseases, reduced productivity, and an overall deterioration in quality of life. This inertia is indefensible. Governments cannot shirk their duty while citizens, especially the most vulnerable, bear the brunt of poisonous air.
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