The Supreme Court has dismissed an application from environmental activist Vikrant Tongad seeking directives for the Punjab and Haryana governments to enforce stricter measures against stubble burning. The bench, comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, ruled that the plea lacked specific details and reiterated the court’s ongoing involvement in the matter.
In their observation, the justices stated, “Moreover, when this court has passed several orders on the issue of stubble burning and is still seized of the matter, we do not want to encourage different parties to file applications for intervention and directions, only for the sake of it. The application is accordingly rejected.”
Tongad’s plea highlighted the severe health risks posed by the smoke from stubble burning, particularly during the April-May period, which adversely affects residents of both Delhi-NCR and the states where the burning occurs. The plea emphasized the vulnerability of children and the elderly to the pollution, which could violate fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution of India.
