On December 9, the Supreme Court's bench of Justices MR Shah and Ravindra Bhat declined to hear a new writ petition that raised the problem of Delhi's air pollution as a result of nearby states' stubble burning. The court noted that similar petitions are pending before the Supreme Court for review as it decided the plea.

In a case filed by attorney Shashank Shekhar Jha, it is claimed that stubble burning in Delhi's neighbouring states has resulted in a significant increase in the Air Quality Index, which has caused the National Capital Territory to "choke."

"In June 2022, the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) released by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) stated that the residents of Delhi stand to lose 10 years due to air pollution."

The argument relied on data from the Indian Agriculture Research Institute that showed 2,109 fire incidents were caused by stubble burning, with Punjab and Haryana reporting the highest number of incidents. The argument claimed that stubble burning was still occurring in Delhi's neighbouring states. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has advised that Delhi's schools be shuttered in order to safeguard the children from extreme air pollution because the situation is so bad, the petition claims.

The petitioner claims that health problems are becoming more prevalent. Citizens in the nation's capital are suffering from severe throat and nose infections, with such diseases increasing by 90%, as a result of Delhi's AQI being in the "dangerous" category.

Case Title: Shashank Shekhar Jha v. UoI And Ors 
Citation: WP(C) No. 987/2022