In Brief
M.C. Mehta's environmental writ petition addressed severe air and water pollution in Delhi and NCR regions. The Supreme Court held that widespread pollution—from stubble burning (40% during October-November), construction/demolition, waste dumping, and traffic—constitutes a gross violation of the right to life under Article 21. The Court held all government officials from Chief Secretaries to gram panchayat representatives personally accountable. It ordered immediate cessation of destructive activities, penalties for violations, and mandated that State and Central Governments provide Rs. 100 per quintal financial support to small and marginal farmers who do not burn stubble and subsidized access to modern mechanized farming equipment, rejecting the claim that governments lack funds.
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