On Monday, the Supreme Court asked the Delhi government and police to respond quickly to the ban on firecrackers during Diwali. This ban, which is often only on paper, is announced every year but largely ignored, leading to dangerously polluted air covering Delhi and nearby areas for days after the festival. 

The court issued a notice to the Delhi government, run by the Aam Aadmi Party, and the police, which falls under the Union Home Minister, to provide details on what actions have been taken to enforce this ban on firecrackers this year. They are also seeking what plans are in place for next year to ensure a complete ban on firecrackers.  This afternoon, Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih continued a lengthy (and yearly) hearing into the air quality crisis that plagues Delhi every year. 

"There are widespread news reports the ban on firecrackers (in Delhi NCR) was not implemented at all... this was supposed to be an important measure to reduce pollution," they said. The court asked the Delhi government, "What is the order (on the banning of firecrackers)... how is it being implemented... something has to be worked out," and assigned it the responsibility of developing a system "at least for next year" to guarantee that Delhi in 2025 does not choke on air pollutants.

On Monday morning, the air quality in Delhi dropped significantly, reaching 'severe' levels four days after Diwali. Many neighbourhoods, including Anand Vihar, Rohini, Ashok Vihar, and Vivek Vihar, reported AQI readings above 400 on a scale of 500. Even wealthier areas like Lodi Road were affected by the pollution. As of 7 AM, the 24-hour average AQI was 373, which was nearly as high as Sunday’s season-worst reading of 382. This decline in air quality occurred despite a 15% decrease in pollution from farm fires, highlighting the ongoing issue.

The air quality situation in the NCR region is still a concern. Noida recorded an AQI of 305, Ghaziabad at 295, and Gurugram at 276. Nearby states also experienced high AQI levels, with Hisar in Haryana at (372) and Sriganganagar (397) and Bharatpur (320) in Rajasthan. On the night after Diwali (November 2), PM2.5 levels in Delhi reached a hazardous level of 603 micrograms per cubic meter, which is 13% higher than the previous two years. The night of Diwali also saw increased levels of nitrogen dioxide, according to the Centre for Science and Environment.

PM2.5 refers to tiny particles in the air that are 2.5 micrometres in diameter or smaller, and they can be harmful to health. The acceptable annual limit for these particles is 40 micrograms per cubic metre. Recently, the Supreme Court directed the governments of Punjab and Haryana to provide affidavits that detail incidents of farm fires and agricultural waste burning that occurred between October 22 and 31, as these activities release pollutants into the air. The next court hearing is scheduled for November 14. The court also raised questions with the central government about creating and enforcing rules to impose financial penalties on farmers who burn waste material. In earlier hearings, Punjab and Haryana were criticised for not prosecuting these cases effectively.

The central government faced criticism for having ineffective environmental protection laws. This included a specific mention of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) Act of 2021, which the court stated was enacted without any administrative systems in place to ensure it would be enforced. The court inquired as to how long it would take for Section 15 of the EPA, which deals with penalties for breaking anti-pollution laws, to resume its operations. The government stated that two weeks would be needed for translation (into state languages) and that draft regulations had been created.