Get Data From Stationary Satellites On Farm Fires Instead Of Polar Orbiting Ones : Supreme Court Directs Centre

The Supreme Court on Monday (November 18) directed the Union Government to get data from stationary satellites regarding farm fires caused by stubble burning.

The direction was passed after noting that there were discrepancies in the data collected by NASA's polar-orbiting satellite and a Korean stationary satellite regarding farm fires.

The Court observed that the data from stationary satellites can give inputs regarding the farm fires throughout the day, based on which the States and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) can take adequate steps.

Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, the amicus curaie in the MC Mehta case, informed a bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih that the ISRO was getting data from a NASA satellite which passed over the National Capital Regions at around 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. daily. Therefore instances of farm fires captured by the satellite are only for those periods. From the information obtained from a NASA scientist, the amicus curiae submitted that a Korean satellite, which is a stationary satellite, captured the farm fires at 4.20 PM. It was pointed out that there is a difference between data collected by the stationery satellite and data collected by the polar-orbiting NASA Satellite.

In the light of these submissions, the bench ordered :

"We direct the Government of India as well as the Commission for Air Quality Management to make immediate arrangements for getting data either from Korean stationery satellites or any other stationery satellites so that data of farm fires throughout the day can be made available to the states to enable them to take immediate actions. Needless to add,the commission and the central government will also involve the ISRO in taking this step. The ultimate object should be to ensure that all instances of farm burning throughout the day can be reported to the concerned States so that prompt action can be taken by the states. Compliance on this aspect also shall be reported by this Friday. Needless to add that the commission and the central government will procure data from stationery satellites from the first of October of 2024."

Earlier, the Court had pulled up the States of Punjab and Haryana for not enforcing the CAQM directives against stubble burning, which is believed to be a major contributor to the air pollution in Delhi-NCR. "The stubble burning leads to huge air pollution. These are not matters only of implementing the existing laws; they are the matters of blatant violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India," the Court observed in a previous order.

Also from today's hearing - Delhi Air Pollution | GRAP-IV Restrictions To Continue In NCR Even If AQI Falls Below 450 : Supreme Court