The Supreme Court said it lacks a “magic wand” to clear Delhi’s air, calling for expert-led, long-term institutional action instead of ad hoc legal interventions.
The CJI agreed to resume hearings on December 1 and urged regular rather than seasonal monitoring of Delhi’s air pollution crisis.
The court noted that many proposed measures by pollution-control authorities remain largely unimplemented, highlighting the need for comprehensive, science-based strategies to address air quality.
The Chief Justice of India said on Thursday that the judiciary does not possess a “magic wand” to cleanse Delhi’s toxic air and that any real relief must come through long-term, expert-led institutional measures — not periodic court-directed fixes.
He made the remarks while hearing a plea in the long-running litigation over Delhi-NCR air pollution.
Justice pointed out that although many causes of pollution have been repeatedly identified over time, a complete and up-to-date understanding remains elusive. He said only domain experts — not judges or lawyers — can conduct the comprehensive assessments necessary to determine all contributing factors and workable solutions.
The court-appointed amicus curiae told the bench that the expert pollution-control body overseeing the Delhi region had proposed both short-term and long-term measures — but that much of this remained “on paper”, with little implemented on the ground. In response, the CJI agreed to hear the case again on December 1 and emphasised that pollution matters should no longer be treated as a ceremonial seasonal issue that flares before winter or festivals but needs regular, ongoing hearings and scrutiny.
The remarks come on a day when air quality remained in the “very poor” category across Delhi, with the city once again seeing dangerously high levels of pollutants — underscoring that despite years of legal action and policy prescriptions, the crisis remains deeply entrenched.
