Delhi pollution: SC questions Odd-Even rule; orders to stop farm fires immediately

New Delhi: The Supreme Court in the hearing on Delhi pollution on Friday questioned the Odd-Even rule and ordered to stop farm fires immediately.
"As per the report from amicus curiae, advocate assisting the court on the issue, odd-even does not help; it will have a minimal impact," said a bench headed by Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul.
"Don't try to not perform and then shift the burden on the court," the Supreme Court said to the Delhi government on the government's submission that will finalise policy on odd-even after the Supreme Court's order.
The top court made it clear that it wants farm fires to stop. "We suggested a methodology; you do it however you want. But farm fires must be stopped. Some emergency measures are required to stop the farm fires," Supreme Court said.
The Supreme Court asked the Centre and Punjab government about what steps they are taking as a long-term measure to slowly phase out paddy to restore the water table in Punjab.
"We want farm fires stopped, we want air quality to get better. It's your business how it occurs," SC said.
Meanwhile, the Court further observed that farmers are also a part of society and they have to be more responsible, and we have to be more responsive to their needs. "But people cannot be made to die," it added.
The top court said that the farmers are very well organised in Punjab and asked the government why it doesn't talk to their bodies and motivate them.
"The pollution level must come down, it cannot await tomorrow," SC said.
Moreover, on today's rain in the national capital, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said that the people have to pray only; sometimes wind comes and helps, and sometimes rain.
"God may have heard the prayers of people and intervened; no thanks to the government," Justice Kaul said.
The apex court was hearing air pollution issue in Delhi-NCR. The bench has now posted the matter for hearing on November 21.
Morning showers in parts of Delhi offered marginal improvement in the toxic air that people in the national capital had been battling with over the past few weeks.
The overall air quality in Delhi at 7 am today was 407, according to data by the government's air-quality monitoring agency SAFAR. The Air Quality Index recorded at 10 am was at 361 which according to the index range falls in the 'Very Poor' category but showed a slight improvement from the "Severe" category.