'Hope You Are Enjoying Delhi Weather': What the Supreme Court Said on Delhi-NCR Pollution, Stubble and Vehicles, Explained

The Supreme Court took up the Delhi-NCR air pollution case on Friday, 6 November 2026, with the city's air quality hovering near AQI 400. The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, opened with a pointed line: "We hope all of you are enjoying Delhi weather." What followed was a hard look at whether the usual blame on farm fires holds up.

The 60-second version

• Bench: CJI Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. Amicus curiae: senior advocate Aparajita Singh.
• Air quality: AQI "touching 400," the CJI said, near the severe category.
• Stubble: about 14% of Delhi's pollution on 5 November, per the Ministry of Earth Sciences figure cited in court.
• Vehicles: the CJI called traffic on roads into Delhi "the major problem."
• Old curbs: temporary measures described as "old, tried and failed."
• Suggestion: buy stubble at a notified rate, give machines to gram panchayats.
• Order: No formal directions reported; status reports are being prepared.

Stubble burning: not the whole story

The Centre, through Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, cited a Decision Support System estimate that stubble burning contributed 14% of Delhi's pollution on 5 November. She said transport was the largest local source, and that farm fires add to pollution already generated within the city.

The amicus told the court that small farmers struggle with crop residue machines: fuel is costly and the machines are not viable on small plots. She also said Punjab's water conservation rules, which delay paddy transplanting, push harvesting and burning closer to wheat sowing, leaving farmers little time.

The court's ideas:

1. Buy stubble at a notified rate, announced well in advance, so farmers know what they will earn.
2. Give machines to gram panchayats to share, because "individuals cannot afford" them, the CJI said.
3. Let the Food Corporation of India and other agencies buy and store stubble for commercial use.

The ASG agreed to place these suggestions before the Agriculture Ministry.

Vehicles and border traffic

The bench focused on vehicles entering Delhi from Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Gurugram and Faridabad. "Even if a vehicle enters Delhi for just two hours and then leaves, those two hours are enough to cause damage," the CJI said, according to Supreme Court Observer.

• The amicus said vehicles idling at border toll plazas were a problem and earlier directions to the NHAI and MCD had not been fully carried out.
• The Centre said nine major toll plazas, handling about 90% of traffic, have installed multi-lane free-flow (barrier-free) tolling, now being tested.
• The bench also raised the move of NCR autorickshaws to CNG or electric by 1 January 2027.

"Old, tried and failed"

The CJI described the cycle of temporary winter curbs as "old, tried and failed measures," and said the court keeps making statements and suggestions while "AQI is already touching 400." Justice Bagchi cautioned that courts should not act as the final experts on every issue, and asked whether paediatricians had been consulted, after the amicus warned that children were still playing outdoors near polluted schools.

Where Delhi stands now

The amicus said Delhi was hovering around Stage III of GRAP levels. The CJI noted that recent rain had brought some relief. Read our explainer on GRAP Stage 2 curbs in Delhi-NCR for what each stage restricts, and our guide to green crackers allowed for Diwali on 7 and 8 November.

What happens next

Authorities are preparing status reports, and the amicus sought a response from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). The hearing was the court's last working day before its festive break, and no next date was reported.

Sources: Supreme Court Observer, The Federal and The Hans India reports of the 6 November 2026 hearing. Quotes are as reported; the court's written record of proceedings may differ in wording.