On Tuesday, the Supreme Court sought a response from the Delhi government regarding its capacity to regulate the influx of taxis from other states into Delhi, as an extra measure to mitigate air pollution in the national capital.

The bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia's observed that a significant portion of app-based taxis operating in Delhi is registered in other states, and these vehicles frequently enter Delhi with only a single passenger on board.

The Court pointed out, "It is worth noting that a substantial portion of app-based taxis in Delhi have registrations in various states, and when we observe the roads, we often find each of them carrying just one passenger."

The Court has proposed the idea of monitoring the entry of these vehicles to ensure that during the festive season, only taxis registered in Delhi are permitted to operate within the city.

The Court inquired, "We would like to know whether there is any way of monitoring, especially during this period, to ensure that only taxis registered in Delhi are permitted to operate as an additional measure to control pollution." This discussion occurred during the Court's consideration of an application concerning air pollution in the national capital, addressing various environmental concerns.

During the previous hearing, the Supreme Court expressed the view that the Delhi government's odd-even scheme, which involves allowing vehicles with odd registration numbers on certain days and even registration numbers on others, was essentially a cosmetic measure without substantial results.

The Court asked, "Have you assessed its effectiveness in previous years? Such schemes appear to be mere symbolic gestures." In the same case, the bench also deliberated on the adverse effects of stubble burning by farmers in the northern states of Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh. Stubble burning involves the practice of farmers setting fire to straw stubble remaining in the fields after the harvest of grains like wheat and paddy.

The Court emphasized that this practice should be halted as it significantly contributes to air pollution in the northern region of the country, including Delhi.