After rap from SC, Delhi air pollution panel sets up 'flying squads' to prevent stubble burning

These squads will collaborate with state anti-pollution bodies and cover 16 districts of Punjab and 10 in Haryana. The latter goes to polls in an Assembly election this weekend.

On Friday, a bench of Supreme Court Justices Abhay S Oka and AG Masih observed that the threat of toxic clouds is smothering Delhi and surrounding areas, a regular winter phenomenon over the past several years, with a lack of breeze meaning vehicular pollution, dust from construction activities, and smog from farm fires blankets and chokes the city.

The top court slammed the CAQM for "total non-compliance" with the law.

"Have committees been constituted? Please show us a single step taken, which directions have you used... Just see the affidavit. Show us a single direction issued under S 12 and others," the court said, unimpressed when told the CAQM only meets once in three months.

Air quality levels at this time of the year plummet to severe lows with AQI levels routinely reaching 500+ (the highest value to measure pollution levels) and respiratory illnesses spiking.

Last week air quality levels in Delhi fell to 235 in the 'poor' category for the first time in nearly four months. The CAQM blamed the vehicular traffic in Delhi.

The Delhi government, meanwhile, has unveiled a 'winter action plan', which includes 21 initiatives to combat air pollution levels. These measures include sprinkling water on roads.

The pollution crisis in the city is also an annual spat between the Aam Aadmi Party, which is in power in Delhi and Punjab, and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which is in power in neighbouring Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, with each side accusing the other of inaction.