Just two weeks after the Supreme Court asked lawyers to attend hearings virtually because of the “very serious” pollution in Delhi, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said on Wednesday, November 26, that he is having breathing issues after his routine morning walk, as per a report of India Today.
With Delhi staying in the ‘very poor’ air quality category for the 12th day in a row, CJI Surya Kant added that if the Bar Association agrees to shift hearings online, the Supreme Court may consider setting a uniform rule for virtual appearances.
Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi has already suggested that lawyers above 60 should be allowed to attend court through virtual conferencing instead of being physically present.
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Earlier, a Supreme Court bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar warned that the pollution could cause permanent health damage, saying, "Situation is very, very serious! Why are you all appearing here? We have a virtual hearing facility. Please avail it. This pollution will cause permanent damage."
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was also in court, pointed out that many lawyers were wearing masks. Justice Narasimha responded, "Even masks are not enough. They will not suffice. We will discuss it with the Chief Justice as well."
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Delhi's AQI remains very poor
Delhi’s air quality stayed severely polluted on Tuesday, remaining in the very poor category for the 12th straight day, with an overall AQI of 353. The capital also recorded its lowest maximum temperature of the season so far.
The air quality is expected to stay in the very poor category from November 26 to 28. Forecasts from the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi suggest that conditions may shift between severe and very poor over the next six days.
On Tuesday, the 24-hour average AQI was 352, slightly lower than 382 on Monday, but still firmly in the very poor range for the 12th consecutive day.
