The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed grave concern over the deteriorating air quality in Delhi, cautioning that the situation could cause permanent health damage. Justice PS Narsimha advised senior advocates to attend hearings virtually, noting that masks alone would not provide sufficient protection against the toxic smog.

“Why are you all appearing here physically? Masks are not enough. Use the virtual hearing facility,” he emphasized. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned wearing masks, but the court clarified that additional precautions were necessary.

Delhi woke up to its third consecutive day of ‘severe’ Air Quality Index (AQI) readings. Bawana recorded the highest AQI at 460, followed by Chandni Chowk (455), Rohini (447), and Anand Vihar (431). Even the lowest AQI at NSIT Dwarka stood at 216, categorised as ‘poor’.

Experts attributed the hazardous air to stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, prompting the Supreme Court to direct both states to submit detailed action reports within a week.