In a forceful and uncompromising directive, the Supreme Court of India has intensified pressure on the governments of Punjab and Haryana to curb the annual menace of stubble burning. Taking note of the alarming deterioration of air quality in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), the Court has ordered the two states to rigorously implement the Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) mandates, stressing that failure to comply will invite severe legal and administrative consequences.

The order marks one of the strongest judicial interventions yet in the ongoing battle against toxic air levels that suffocate the NCR every winter. With Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) frequently breaching “hazardous” levels during peak stubble-burning season, the Court’s message was unequivocal:

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