The Supreme Court has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD), the Delhi Police (Traffic Department) and the States of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to file detailed responses on the regulation of vehicular emissions in the National Capital Region, after noting a sharp increase in pollution attributable to vehicles.

The Court observed that “Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), by virtue of their geographical and economic interconnectedness, bear the cumulative burden of vehicular traffic originating not merely within their own boundaries but also from the neighbouring States of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.”

The authorities have been asked to address, among other things, the enforcement of Pollution Under Control (PUC) norms, the entry of over-age and end-of-life vehicles, and inter-state coordination mechanisms, with the matter now listed for November 23, 2026.

The Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana ordered, "It must be borne in mind that Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), by virtue of their geographical and economic interconnectedness, bear the cumulative burden of vehicular traffic originating not merely within their own boundaries but also from the neighbouring States of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. The situation is further compounded by the substantial volume of both commercial and non-commercial vehicles entering and plying within the city from different parts of the region, thereby adding to the existing vehicular emission load."


Senior Advocates Aparajita Singh, Uttara Babbar and Advocate Shibani Ghose were the Amici Curiae, while ASG Aishwarya Singh Bhati appeared for the Union of India

A Suo Moto Writ Petition was registered in pursuance of the directions of the Court in the MC Mehta case. In that Writ Petition, the Court was occasioned to deal with various issues concerning the degrading air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The Court had recognized that the scope of the proceedings in the said Writ Petition were multi-faceted and required a more contemporary method of addressing the wide variety of concerns raised therein, thus directing the registration of five separate Suo Moto Writ Petitions, each pertaining to a separate aspect of air pollution in NCR. 

Representing the Union of India and CAQM, Bhati highlighted some of the efforts taken by them as well as the different States/NCT, including, inter alia, the restrictions on vehicular emissions and measures to reduce stubble burning.

The Court said, "it seems to us that substantive consideration by this Court on each of the issues would require that all the States place their submissions on (i) the steps taken by them; (ii) their responses to each of the suggestions of the CAQM and the Amici; and (iii) any action that they independently propose to take moving forward. We thus grant the States two weeks’ time to place on record their submissions."

The Amici Curiae placed a graphical representation depicting the status of compliance with the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for the period between 21.10.2026 and 03.11.2026. The data indicated a substantial decline in incidents of stubble burning across Delhi and the States of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.

"While this development is certainly laudable, the same data also brings to the fore a converse and equally pressing concern, namely, the sharp increase in issues attributable to vehicular emissions", the Court added.

The Court directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD), the Delhi Police (Traffic Department), as well as the States of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, to file their respective detailed responses before the next date of hearing, specifically addressing the following aspects:

1. The existing regulatory framework and enforcement mechanisms governing the entry and plying of commercial and non-commercial vehicles within Delhi and the National Capital Region, particularly those originating from neighbouring States;

2. The measures presently in place to identify, monitor and regulate vehicles that do not conform to the prescribed emission standards, including the enforcement of Pollution Under Control (PUC) certification requirements;

3. The steps taken to prevent the entry and operation of over-age, end-of-life, or otherwise non-compliant vehicles within the National Capital Region;

4. The enforcement measures undertaken against violations, including the number of vehicles inspected, challaned, denied entry or otherwise proceeded against during the relevant period;

5. The coordination mechanisms between the authorities of Delhi and the neighbouring States for regulating inter-State vehicular movement and ensuring compliance with applicable emission norms; and

6. Any further short-term and long-term measures proposed or contemplated to mitigate vehicular emissions and reduce their contribution to the deteriorating air quality in Delhi and the National Capital Region.

Accordingly, the matter was listed for a further date on November 23, 2026.

In February, 2026, the Court had directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Ministry of Power, and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) to submit a joint proposal for phasing out coal-based industries within the NCR.

Previously, the Court directed all the stakeholders recommended by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to submit an action plan to give effect to long-term measures on issues related to air pollution.

On 6 January 2026, the Court issued directions to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), emphasizing its statutory obligation to move beyond temporary fixes and establish a definitive, expert-backed understanding of the worsening air quality in Delhi-NCR.

On November 19, the court asked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to consider directing schools in Delhi-NCR to postpone open-air sports events scheduled for November–December to “safer months” due to toxic air levels.

It had declined to impose year-round restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), an emergency framework that restricts polluting activities in severe conditions, and instead emphasised the need for long-term, sustainable solutions.

Cause Title: In Re: Curbing Air Pollution In The National Capital Region-Regulatory And Policy Framework, Air Quality Governance And Other Ancillary Issues

Appearances:

Parties: A.S.G. Aishwarya Bhati, Sr. A.A.G. Lokesh Sinhal, Sr. Adv. Ruchi Kohli, Sr. Adv. Sanjiv Sen, AOR Gurmeet Singh Makker, AOR Jyoti Mendiratta, AOR Srishti Mishra, AOR Pradeep Misra, AOR Sankey Agarwal, AOR Rahul Khurana, Adv. Onkar Singh, Adv. Avni Singh, Adv. Anshika Singh, Adv. Shreya Singh, Adv. Sanya, Adv. Saurabh Singh, Adv. M.K. Singh, Adv. Ram Narayan Mohanty, Adv. Prerna Dhall, Adv. Medha Pushkarna, Adv. Shivika Mehra, Adv. Chitrangda Rastrwara, Adv. Ananya Basudha, Adv. Daleep Dhyani, Adv. Manoj Kumar Sharma, Adv. Suraj Singh, Adv. Anupam Misra, Adv. Dinesh Jindal, Adv. Sanjay Vashishtha, Adv. Prahalad Balaji, Adv. Jharna Singh, Adv. Bhavya Singla, Adv. T. Geetha

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