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Cse In News

Delhi’s air quality remains very poor; shallow fog envelopes city for 2nd day

Delhi’s air quality remained in the higher end of the “very poor” category for a fourth straight day on Wednesday as calm winds continued to impact the dispersion of pollutants even as the shallow fog enveloped the city for a second day. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said visibility dipped to around 800 metres at 7am. Similar visibility persisted over the next hour. “Winds were calm, with shallow fog recorded for a second straight day. On Tuesday, when we saw the season’s first shallow fog, visibility dropped to 800 metres,” said an IMD official. An average air quality index (AQI) of 356 (very poor) was recorded at 9am. It marked a slight improvement from Tuesday’s 4pm reading of 373 (very poor), The Early Warning System for Delhi (EWS) said conditions remain unfavourable for the dispersion of pollutants and no significant change was expected in the air quality. It said the air quality was likely to be in the “very poor” until Friday. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed at least four stations recorded severe category air quality at 9am on Wednesday. NSIT recorded 444 and Wazirpur an average AQI of 421. CPCB classifies AQI between 0-50 as “good”, between 51 and 100 as “satisfactory”, between 101 and 200 as “moderate”, between 201 and 300 as “poor”, between 301 and 400 as “very poor”, and over 400 as “severe”. AQI has worsened to severe at least once by November 6 as per CPCB data since 2015. The earliest Delhi’s AQI touched severe since 2015 was on October 20 in 2017. Normally, it happens between the last week of October and the first week of November. This happened on November 1 in 2015, October 29, 2016, October 30 in 2018 and 2019, November 5 in 2020 and 2021, November 1, 2022, and November 3 last year. Strong winds post-Diwali and higher-than-normal temperatures were key factors behind preventing AQI from touching the severe mark this season. Centre for Science and Environment executive director (research and advocacy) Anumita Roychowdhury said that despite Diwali on October 31, strong winds and higher-than-normal temperatures helped dissipate pollutants in hours. “This year, the overall temperature has also been higher throughout October, not just at the end of the month. However, one has to realise that AQI was still touching very poor even in October, which means our background emissions are high and it will only take a further dip in temperature to possibly touch severe.” Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday announced the start of a campaign to check open waste burning from Wednesday. He added that 588 teams will be deployed across the city for this.

Encouraging Indian farmers to avail carbon credit benefits

India recently launched the Framework for Voluntary Carbon Market in Agriculture Sector. This is with a view to encourage small and medium farmers to avail benefits of carbon credit, according to an Indian Press Information Bureau press release. Carbon markets are systems designed to place a price on carbon emissions and create economic incentives for emission reduction, also known as ‘carbon credits’. Introducing farmers to the carbon market is expected to not only benefit them but also accelerate the adoption of environment-friendly agricultural practices. Farmers can adopt sustainable agriculture practices and get additional income from carbon credits as well as other agro-ecological benefits in terms of improved natural capital such as soil, water, biodiversity etc., according to the ministry. Union Agriculture Minister Mr. Arjun Munda on the occasion emphasised the framework’s focus on ‘small and medium farmers’ and their crucial role in India’s agriculture and aiming to reach over 54.6% of the workforce, covering 139.3 million hectares of sown land. This aligns with the national goal of sustainable development, promoting eco-friendly practices like organic farming and agroforestry. Farmers can earn carbon credits for verifiable carbon sequestration activities, potentially creating a new revenue stream while contributing to India’s ambitious climate goals. He requested full cooperation from the concerned ministries of the Centre and states and other concerned organisations to promote carbon markets in the interest of farmers. The agriculture ministry has therefore recently developed this framework for promoting a voluntary carbon market in India for the agricultural sector to encourage small and marginal farmers to benefit from carbon credit, as per a Financial Express (FE) report. In a first-of-its-kind initiative to incentivise for adoption of environmentally sustainable agriculture practices, smallholder farmers across eight states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Maharashtra would be financially rewarded with carbon credit soon, the report adds. The FE report also points out that agri-major Bayer, Shell, Mitsubishi and GenZero who have formed ‘the Good Rice Alliance’, have decided to scale up their carbon credit programme in nine states to empower their paddy farmers for adopting smart agriculture practices — Alternate Wetting and Drying and direct-seeded rice. The programme plans to add nearly 8500 hectares. In the last one year, the project has generated around 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) methane emission reductions annually from agriculture positively. This has impacted 10,000 farmers, covering more than 25,000 hectares in the key rice producing states – Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. The farmers in the key rice growing region could earn carbon credit after adopting sustainable practices which results in reduction in greenhouse gases and improve soil carbon sequestration. In October 2023, an investigation by Down To Earth (DTE) and the Centre for Science and Environment found several problems like the lack of robust monitoring, overestimation of emission reduction as well as lack of ownership of carbon credits, among others, with the voluntary carbon market in India. The report calls for transparency in the market, deciding clear objectives of such a market and designing rules accordingly. According to a DTE report, carbon credits are issued for nine types of projects that either avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by allowing a switchover to clean sources or those that remove/sequester the already-emitted GHGs. Over 32% of all credits issued in the voluntary carbon market are for renewable energy. About 90 per cent of these credits are for grid-connected electricity generation from renewable sources, with wind (49%), hydropower (33%), and centralised solar (15%) being most common. Projects include methane reduction activities from paddy fields, improved irrigation. Manure methane management (78%) and rice emission reduction (17.5%) projects make up for the majority of credits issued. US and China lead in terms of credit issuance under agriculture. Focus on ecosystem-based approaches to reduce emissions and/or increase removal of GHGs from land-use activities, such as afforestation, improved forest management and wetland restoration. This category attracts the largest share of credits; most are in the US, Indonesia, Brazil and Peru. India’s lucrative carbon market is worth over $1.2 billion. It will only grow as the crisis of climate change becomes more urgent and companies strive to attain net-zero emission goals.

Future of Paris pact on climate change now shaky: Ramesh on Trump win

Congress MP and former Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday said Donald Trump's comeback has made the future of the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change which America had rejoined under President Joe Biden "extremely shaky", and added that if the US were to withdraw again, it would be disastrous. Incoming President Donald Trump won a second term as US president in one of the greatest political comebacks in American history, cruising past his Democrat rival Kamala Harris in a bitterly fought election. The Congress general-secretary (communications) said Trump has staged an astonishing comeback. "Undoubtedly, why and how it happened will be analysed in great detail over the next few weeks, as will the question of what this comeback means for the US and the rest of the world," Ramesh said. "But what is certain is that the future of the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change which America had rejoined under President Joe Biden is now extremely shaky. If the US were to withdraw again it would be disastrous," the former environment minister said. International policy experts seemed to echo his view, saying Trump's re-election as president is a profound blow to global climate justice and his disregard for international agreements and refusal to provide climate finance will deepen the crisis. unita Narain, director-general of the Delhi-based thinktank Centre for Science and Environment, said Trump winning the White House race is a "big setback" for global climate efforts, especially if he rolls back critical domestic policies like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). She said the US has historically fallen short in global climate efforts, particularly on financing support for vulnerable countries, decarbonisation and financial commitments to the developing world, and Trump's presidency will make matters even worse.

Vehicular emissions major cause of Delhi's winter pollution, says CSE

Vehicular emission is the top contributor to Delhi's pollution during winter season--more than stubble burning, road dust or bursting of fire crackers -- with over 50 per cent of pollution from local sources linked to city's fragmented transportation system, according to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). An estimated 1.1 million vehicles enter and exit Delhi daily, further worsening the air quality. The traffic caused from this vehicle influx intensifies pollution, particularly nitrogen oxides (NOx), which account for 81 per cent of NOx pollution in Delhi. According to data presented by the CSE, local pollution sources in Delhi account for 30.34 per cent of the city's air pollution (50.1 per cent of which is contributed through transportation), while 34.97 per cent originates from the neighbouring NCR districts and 27.94 per cent from other areas. Stubble burning contributes only 8.19 per cent to Delhi's pollution levels.

US election: Climate experts react to Donald Trump’s victory

With Donald Trump winning a come-back victory as president of the United States and results pointing to Republican control of both chambers of Congress, analysts and commentators around the world are offering their views on what this means for the world’s battle to tackle climate change. At home, Trump – a climate-change sceptic – has promised to encourage the production of fossil fuels and rein in Biden’s green economy spending. Internationally, he has said he would withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement, as he did briefly during his first term in office. He is reportedly also considering trying to quit the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the treaty that establishes the basic architecture for countries to work together to address climate change. And he may cut the US’s climate finance contributions to developing countries. Climate Home has compiled reactions from climate experts in the US and beyond on the implications of a Trump victory for global climate policy and climate action in the United States: Todd Stern, former US climate envoy Speaking before the election, Todd Stern – who was former President Barack Obama’s chief climate negotiator, including on the Paris Agreement – said that if Trump blocks efforts to cut his country’s CO2 emissions, it “will be very disappointing – to put it mildly”. But, he added, “the machine is moving – the wheels that are spinning in all elements of clean technology are not going to stop”. He said Trump would try to pull back Biden’s green spending through legislative mechanisms like the Inflation Reduction Act. But “in many cases, they won’t be able to do that”, Stern added, because a lot of the spending has been in states with Republican Congressmen and Governors who are “not going to want those things to be undermined because of jobs and employment”. Gina McCarthy, former US presidential climate adviser and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Echoing Stern, McCarthy said “the shift to clean energy is unstoppable and our country is not turning back”. She added that the EPA and all public servants “stand ready to do their jobs, follow the science, and protect the rule of law”. “We all must stand ready to hold this administration accountable to do its job of protecting our people and our environment,” she added. “Bloomberg’s America Is All In [a coalition of local leaders supporting climate action] will work with cities, states and the private sector to do everything in its power to stop this administration from unwinding the progress we’ve made on climate,” she said. Simon Stiell, head of the UNFCCC Speaking in the Azerbaijani city of Baku today, which will host COP29 next week, the Grenadian diplomat said that “the fundamental facts remain unchanged”. He said “global heating is already hammering every nation” and “those investing in clean energy are already enjoying huge wins in terms of jobs and wealth, and cheaper, more secure energy.” He warned: “Unless all countries can cut emissions and build more resilience into global supply chains, no economy – including the G20 – will survive unchecked global heating, and no household will be spared its severe inflationary impacts.” Avantika Goswami, climate lead at the Centre for Science and Environment The Delhi-based campaigner said that financing is one of the biggest enablers of decarbonisation. “Not only do we need bilateral aid – which a Trump Presidency is likely to gut – but the US also controls the global financial system largely and uses the hegemony of the dollar to assert its power.” “Another Trump term”, she said, “no doubts make the much-needed reform of the global financial architecture all the more tricky.” The Biden administration pursued green reform of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. She said that other developed countries and emerging economies should “lead the way to ramp up decarbonisation, because we know how high the costs of inaction are”.

Sunita Narain Warns Donald Trump's Presidency Will Set Back Global Climate Efforts

Donald Trump's election as the president of the United States is going to be a "big setback" for global climate efforts, especially if he rolls back critical domestic policies like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), environmentalist and policy expert Sunita Narain said on Wednesday. She also said the US has historically fallen short in global climate efforts, particularly on financing support for vulnerable countries, decarbonisation and financial commitments to the developing world, and Trump's presidency will make matters even worse. Narain said the IRA is essential for reducing US emissions as the country remains one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters and leads in oil and gas production. Follow our WhatsApp channel While President Joe Biden's administration prioritised domestic climate actions, Trump's campaign focus on expanding fracking and oil production poses a serious threat to US commitments, Narain said. "Donald Trump's election as the US president is going to be a major setback for the global environmental and climate change movement. While President Joe Biden's administration showed stronger climate action domestically than internationally, our primary concern now is that Trump may roll back these critical domestic efforts, including the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)," she said. "The IRA is crucial because the United States remains the single-largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases and is the second-largest emitter annually. It is also the world's top producer and exporter of oil and gas, generating around 13 million barrels daily. The IRA (and its role in achieving 50-per cent emissions reduction by 2030, below 2005 levels) served as a significant signal to the world that the US could lead on climate action," Narain said. If Trump reverses these actions, it would send a very troubling message globally. In his campaign, Trump emphasised his support for fracking, oil and gas, with "Drill, baby, drill" as a key slogan. He dismissed climate-change concerns entirely. Rolling back the IRA and expanding oil production would be extremely harmful for international climate efforts, the climate policy expert said. "Some might argue that Trump could hesitate to undo the IRA, as its benefits have also reached Republican strongholds. However, an increase in fracking and oil production seems likely," Narain said. Former US president Trump is cruising towards winning the White House race in one of the greatest political comebacks in American history. According to projections, Trump is all set to receive 270 electoral college votes, blocking the chance of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris to win the polls.

US' climate action already insufficient, Doanld Trump will make it worse: Sunita Narain

Donald Trump's election as the president of the United States is going to be a "big setback" for global climate efforts, especially if he rolls back critical domestic policies like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), environmentalist and policy expert Sunita Narain said on Wednesday. She also said the US has historically fallen short in global climate efforts, particularly on financing support for vulnerable countries, decarbonisation and financial commitments to the developing world, and Trump's presidency will make matters even worse. Narain said the IRA is essential for reducing US emissions as the country remains one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters and leads in oil and gas production. While President Joe Biden's administration prioritised domestic climate actions, Trump's campaign focus on expanding fracking and oil production poses a serious threat to US commitments, Narain said.

SC slams firecracker ban violations amid air crisis

The Supreme Court on Monday demanded accountability from Delhi authorities over widespread violations of the firecracker ban during Diwali, asking the police and the administration to share details on how they will prevent a repeat next year and whether the Capital needs a permanent prohibition of such celebration. The intervention follows Diwali celebrations on Thursday when Delhi residents largely ignored restrictions, sending air pollution levels to a level that was 16 times the safe limit. “There are widespread reports in newspapers that the ban on firecrackers was not implemented. We want Delhi government and Delhi police to immediately respond. We want them to create a mechanism so that this doesn’t happen next year,” said the bench, giving the government and the law enforcement agency a week to respond. “The ban on firecrackers is one of the important measures to reduce pollution. If that is not implemented, it will create a chaotic situation,” observed the bench headed by Justice Abhay S Oka. The court directed both the Delhi government and Police Commissioner to place on record not only the ban orders for this year but also detail specific enforcement actions taken during the festival. The bench also asked Punjab and Haryana to explain an uptick in farm fire counts on Diwali night. After shortly lived respite immediately after Diwali, the national capital’s sank into the deep red this week, with smoke from farm fires making up close to 20% of the ultrafine pollutants on Sunday. On Monday, the air quality at 16 of the 39 stations were recorded in the “severe” pollution zone. Data presented by the Centre for Science and Environment to the court showed midnight PM2.5 concentrations were higher than the previous two years, with a 34% increase from 2022 levels. At locations like Anand Vihar, levels touched 992 µg/m³ -- more than 16 times the national safety standard of 60 µg/m³. Other areas like Nehru Nagar and ITO recorded dangerous peaks of 898 µg/m³ and 944.5 µg/m³ respectively, HT reported on Friday citing its own analysis of realtime monitoring stations. What came to the city’s rescue was a bit of meteorological luck: unseasonably warm weather conditions and steady winds of 10-15 km/hour helped disperse pollutants the following day, although the initial impact of widespread firecracker use was evident in the sharp spike in pollution levels between 9pm and 2am on Diwali night. The bench, which included justice Augustine George Masih, issued stern directions: “We call upon the Commissioner of Delhi police to indicate steps taken by police to enforce complete ban on use of firecrackers. The affidavit must state what effective steps they propose to take next year to ensure the ban on firecrackers is fully implemented. This will include necessity of public awareness to be undertaken in this regard.” The court asked authorities to file responses within a week on whether a perpetual ban on firecrackers could help Delhi “breathe free.” The current ban, imposed by the Supreme Court in October 2018, restricts both sale and production of firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR). This order was originally passed in response to a petition filed by three minors led by Arjun Gopal, seeking restrictions due to rising pollution levels. The neighbouring NCR cities of Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad appeared to have had protocols contrary to this legal position – with all three cities conditionally allowing use of so-called green firecrackers for limited hours. Neither were the conditions adhered to in these cities nor is there adequate control, enforcement or testing of products that have been spotted as simply being labelled “green”. Senior advocate Aparajita Singh, serving as amicus curiae, emphasised the gravity of the situation, stating, “There is no doubt the order of the court has been violated with impunity.” The problem was exacerbated by a dramatic increase in farm fires, with Punjab and Haryana reporting 605 incidents on Diwali (October 31) compared to 160 the previous day, creating what Singh termed “a deadly combination” with firecracker pollution. “There cannot be any dispute that the ban on crackers was hardly implemented,” the court observed. “The effect of non-implementation of ban is apparent from CSE report that pollution level in Delhi on Diwali was much higher than 2022 and 2023. The same report also indicates that farm fires were on increase during Diwali.”

That time of the year: Delhi in midst of its most toxic fortnight

NEW DELHI: The annual bane of toxic air has begun in the city, with Nov 1-15 being the most polluted stretch during the year. Any respite is unlikely during this period, and AQI is predicted to stay in the "very poor" to "severe" categories in the coming days. Delhi pollution The average AQI in the Nov 1-15 fortnight from 2018 to 2023 has been 371 (‘very poor'), according to an analysis done by Delhi Pollution Control Committee. The second most polluted fortnight is Dec 15-31, with an average AQI of 354, also in the ‘very poor' category. Track the pollution level in your city Experts said Nov 1-15 is the most polluted because the period coincides with Diwali, when fireworks are burst, the peak harvest stubble burning in neighbouring states and an increase in traffic intensity due to the festivals. During the period, meteorological conditions, including slow or calm winds, low temperature and inversion impact the dispersion of pollutants. The stretch from Dec 15 to 31 is also a polluted period for similar reasons of an increase in traffic flow due to festivals and unfavourable meteorology, including dense fog. The Central Pollution Control Board's data shows that Delhi's AQI has been hovering in the ‘very poor' category since Oct 27, except Oct 29 when it briefly improved to the ‘poor' band due to strong winds. However, the air quality worsened in the past two days, with the city recording AQI in the higher end of the ‘very poor' category. Delhi's average AQI was 382 on Sunday, with 14 stations remaining in the ‘severe' category throughout the day. AQI on Monday was 381, with 16 stations surpassing AQI of 400 by the evening. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, explained, "Due to cool and calm atmospheric conditions, air gets trapped and the pollutants are simultaneously trapped too. This is the reason why we see a sudden spurt in pollution. If the local and regional pollution is already high, the severity of the pollution gets even more intense. This requires round-the-year sustained efforts to cut emissions from all key sources." Dipankar Saha, former head of CPCB's air laboratory, said the air quality worsening at this time is a seasonal phenomenon, but it is also a public health issue and a concern for everyone. "All stakeholders should focus on cutting down emissions with awareness of their shared responsibility. It is a health emergency matter. Thus, healthcare centres must remain equipped adequately for all emergency demands," said Saha. He added, "the Graded Response Action Plan, which is an emergency measure introduced when AQI deteriorates, hasn't yet added health centres linkage. It needs to be incorporated in GRAP immediately so that primary healthcare facilities can develop the necessary infrastructure and faculties."

‘What steps were taken?’, SC asks Delhi govt, police on Diwali cracker ban

New Delhi: Taking a strong exception to Delhi’s high pollution levels during Diwali, the Supreme Court on Monday sought to know from the Delhi government and the Delhi police commissioner about the steps taken to implement the firecracker ban. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih referred to newspaper reports mentioning a considerable violation of court orders. The apex court therefore sought to know the measures undertaken by the Delhi government and the Delhi police in implementing the ban and the action taken against violators. “We want all the orders to be placed on record banning the sale, manufacture and bursting of firecrackers in Delhi. We are also issuing notice to the Delhi police commissioner on the action police has taken against the violators and the steps it is taking to implement the orders of the court,” the bench said. The responses will have to be filed within a week. Referring to a report of the Centre for Science and Environment, the top court noted it was evident that Diwali in 2024 was warmer than in the previous couple of years, 2022 and 2023. Stubble burning issue The bench further asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to file their responses by November 14 on the rise in farm fires and stubble-burning incidents during the last 10 days in October. “Some strict action is needed for those violating firecrackers ban like sealing of their premises,” said the bench, adding that it would “do something” in order to ensure court orders on the firecracker ban were not violated during Diwali, 2025.

Explain rise in farm fires in last 10 days of Oct: Supreme Court to Punjab, Haryana

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to explain the rise in farm fires in the last 10 days of October. The top court also suggested some strict action like sealing of premises for those violating firecracker ban in the Capital. During a hearing on the issue of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, a Bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih referred to a report of the Centre for Science and Environment to point out that the Diwali in 2024 was warmer than that in 2022 and 2023. Taking strong exception to the flouting of its order banning firecrackers in Delhi, the top court asked the Delhi Government and the Delhi Police Commissioner to file affidavits within a week explaining why the ban on bursting firecrackers was violated during Diwali.

SC seeks Punjab, Hry responses on uptick in farm fires by Nov 14

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to file their responses by November 14 on the rise in farm fires and stubble burning incidents during the last 10 days in October. It noted the report of Centre for Science and Environment indicating that incidents of farm fires in Punjab and Haryana shot up from 160 a day before Diwali to 605 incidents on the day of Diwali. The apex court was hearing a plea seeking directions to curb air pollution in the national capital and adjoining areas. On October 23, the top court pulled up the Centre for making the environment protection law “toothless” and asserted that there is a fundamental right of every citizen of India to live in a pollution-free environment. The apex court had highlighted that even after six months of amending section 15 of Environment (Protection) Act, the Centre has not come out with rules and the machinery to enforce the provision for penalty against those violating the environment protection law, rendering it toothless.

दिल्ली में पटाखे बैन, फिर कैसे हुई आतिशबाजी? वायु प्रदूषण पर सुप्रीम कोर्ट सख्त

दिल्ली के प्रदूषण में जबरदस्त बढ़ोतरी पर सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने सख्त रुख अपनाया है। कोर्ट ने दिल्ली पुलिस कमिश्नर और दिल्ली सरकार से सवाल किया है कि पटाखों पर बैन लागू करने के लिए उनकी तरफ से क्या कदम उठाए गए हैं। इस बारे में कोर्ट को बताया जाए। कोर्ट ने यह भी कहा है की हलफनामा दायर कर यह भी बताएं कि अगले साल पूरी पटाखों पर बैन पूरी तरह से कैसे लगाया जाएगा और इसको लेकर क्या प्रस्ताव है। सुप्रीम कोर्ट के जस्टिस ए.एस.ओका की अगुवाई वाली बेंच ने अखबार में छपी खबरों का हवाला दिया और कहा कि पटाखों पर बैन के लिए अदालत का जो आदेश था उसका उल्लंघन हुआ है। कोर्ट ने यह भी पूछा कि बैन का उल्लंघन करने वालों पर क्या कार्रवाई की गई। जवाब दाखिल करने के लिए मिला 1 हफ्ते का समय- सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने दिल्ली सरकार और पुलिस से हफ्ते भर में जवाब दाखिल करने को कहा है। मामले की सुनवाई के दौरान सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की रिपोर्ट का हवाला देते हुए सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने कहा है कि 2022, 2023 की तुलना में 2024 की दिवाली अधिक गर्म रही। राज्य सरकारों से भी मांगा जवाब- सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने पंजाब और हरियाणा सरकार से भी अक्टूबर के आखिरी 10 दिनों में पराली जलाने की घटना में होने वाली बढ़ोतरी पर जवाब दाखिल करने को कहा है। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने दोनों सरकारों से कहा है कि वह 14 नवंबर तक जवाब दाखिल करें। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने इस मामले पर सख्त टिप्पणी करते हुए कहा है कि पटाखों पर बैन का जो भी उल्लंघन करते हैं उनके परिसरों को सील करने जैसी सख्त कार्रवाई की जानी चाहिए। बैन का असर रहा बेअसर- सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने कहा है कि इस बात पर कोई शक नहीं है कि बैन पर पूरी तरह से अमल हो पाया है। CSE की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार साफ है कि पटाखों पर बैन के आदेश सही से लागू नहीं हो पाए। इस कारण दिल्ली में दिवाली के दौरान होने वाला प्रदूषण और ज्यादा बढ़ गया है। बीते 2 सालों की तुलना में यह बहुत अधिक है। दिवाली के दिनों में पराली भी बहुत अधिक जलाई गई। जस्टिस ओका की अगुवाई वाली बेंच दिल्ली और NCR में वायु प्रदूषण को लेकर एम.सी.मेहता की ओर से दाखिल एक याचिका पर सुनवाई कर रही है। सुप्रीम कोर्ट में CSE की रिपोर्ट का हवाला देकर एमिकस क्यूरी अपराजिता सिंह ने कहा कि दिवाली के दिन एयर पल्यूशन में 30 प्रतिशत की बढ़ोतरी रिकार्ड की गई। साथ ही इस दौरान पराली जलाने की घटना में बढ़ोतरी हुई है। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने दिल्ली सरकार और पुलिस से कहा है कि वह एक हफ्ते में हलफनामा दायर करे और अगली सुनवाई के लिए 14 नवंबर की तारीख तय कर दी है।