As Delhi-NCR chokes under “severe” air quality amid a dense blanket of smog, the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to consider directing schools to postpone sports and games scheduled for November–December to safer months, once air quality improves.
A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran passed the direction after senior advocate Aparajita Singh, the amicus curiae assisting the top court, flagged that several schools in the national capital and adjoining areas were preparing to conduct sports meets at a time when the Air Quality Index (AQI) had plunged to dangerous levels.
“Children are most vulnerable. Holding sports now is like putting them in gas chambers,” Singh submitted.
Taking note of the submission, the CJI Gavai-led Bench requested CAQM to “consider passing appropriate directions” shifting outdoor sports events to a less-polluted period.
The direction comes as pollution levels across Delhi-NCR remained in the ‘severe’ category on Wednesday, with multiple monitoring stations recording AQI above 450. Wazirpur (578), Greater Noida’s Knowledge Park-5 (553), and Bawana were among the worst-hit, while several areas -- Jahangirpuri, Ashok Vihar, Vivek Vihar, Chandni Chowk, North Campus, Mundka, Anand Vihar -- continued to suffocate under hazardous air.
Schools in Delhi have already shifted primary classes to hybrid mode as per GRAP Stage 3 restrictions.
The Supreme Court also directed that the public interest litigation (PIL) concerning Delhi’s air quality be listed on a monthly basis so that implementation of pollution-control measures could be monitored throughout the year instead of only during peak winter months.
“Just dealing with it when pollution is at its peak will not help. It has to be monitored regularly so that implementation is done regularly,” the CJI Gavai-led Bench said, taking reports of CAQM and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on record.
On Monday, the apex court had emphasised the need for a “long-term strategy” to tackle Delhi-NCR’s recurring air pollution crisis instead of short-term responses every winter.
“You can give suggestions, but they cannot be for two days, one week, or three weeks. We need a long-term solution so that this problem reduces gradually every year,” the CJI had told the Centre.
It had refused to impose “knee-jerk measures” such as a year-round blanket ban on construction, stressing that such decisions could severely hit livelihoods. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court directed the Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan governments to release subsistence allowance to construction workers affected by GRAP Stage 3 restrictions, which currently impose a blanket ban on construction activities.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast mainly clear to hazy skies for the next 48 hours, offering little immediate relief from the worsening smog. Recently, growing frustration over the deteriorating air quality sparked anti-pollution protests in the national capital. Social organisations, student groups, and local residents took to the streets, urging authorities to intervene without delay and enforce stronger measures.