Planting Trees Can Improve Delhi’s AQI, Says Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Friday emphasized that increasing green cover could help improve air quality in Delhi-NCR. The observation was made while issuing orders related to the restructuring of an expert committee monitoring a plantation program aimed at compensating for tree felling in the Ridge area.

Court Hears Senior Advocate’s Request

Senior advocate Guru Krishna Kumar, acting as amicus curiae in the case, requested the bench led by Chief Justice Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud to replace committee member Ishwar Singh, who was recently appointed to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), with a new member.

New Appointments

The bench accepted two proposed names and appointed retired Indian Forest Service officer M.D. Sinha to the committee. Senior advocate Kumar also highlighted that the committee would oversee programs previously monitored by a bench headed by retired justice A.S. Oka, which had issued directions to increase Delhi’s green belt.

Green Cover: A Practical Long-Term Solution

The Chief Justice noted that increasing tree cover is directly related to the city’s air quality index (AQI) and can have a meaningful impact. He stated, “While we are striving to improve the AQI, enhancing green cover is among the most practical, effective, and long-term solutions.”

This ruling underscores the judiciary’s proactive stance on environmental protection and highlights the importance of urban afforestation as a sustainable method to combat Delhi’s chronic pollution problem.