NEW DELHI, India: With air pollution choking New Delhi this week, India's Supreme Court has advised lawyers to avoid in-person appearances and instead argue cases online, a rare move underscoring the severity of the capital's annual air crisis.

The city's air quality index (AQI) has remained above 400, deep in the "severe" category, triggering widespread curbs on construction and industrial activity, and now even on court proceedings.

"This (air pollution) will cause permanent damage... Even masks are not enough," Justice P S Narasimha was quoted as saying this week by India Today and other media outlets. He called the situation "very, very serious" and urged the legal community to consider using the court's virtual hearing platform.

The Supreme Court, which has 34 judges and is one of over a dozen major legal institutions in the capital, sees hundreds of lawyers and litigants daily, making it a potential hotspot for exposure to pollution and a contributor to traffic-related emissions. The court did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The AQI reading at the monitoring station nearest to the court reached 437 on November 13, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The index classifies any reading between 0–50 as "good", while anything above 400 is considered hazardous, particularly for people with pre-existing conditions.

Each winter, New Delhi becomes one of the world's most polluted cities, with smog levels often blamed on a mix of industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, and seasonal crop burning in nearby agricultural states like Punjab and Haryana. Farmers there often illegally burn stubble to clear fields for the next sowing cycle — a practice that releases vast plumes of smoke into the atmosphere.

Despite numerous Supreme Court rulings over the past decade aimed at improving air quality, experts say implementation has lagged, with weak enforcement and fragmented policy responses.

The worsening smog has real health consequences. A 2023 study found that air pollution in parts of South Asia, including northern India, can reduce life expectancy by more than five years per person. Residents face increased risks of respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, and long-term lung damage.

In a rare display of civic frustration, residents protested last weekend, demanding action from local and national authorities to tackle the toxic air.