Consider allowing only Delhi registered cabs in the Capital city, Supreme Court tells Kejriwal govt

The apex court, instead, has proposed a colour code scheme with orange assigned to polluting and diesel vehicles. The court has also proposed restrictions on the plying of only orange colour-coded cars.

The Supreme Court direction comes on a day when pollution levels in Delhi were recorded in the "very poor" category after five consecutive days of severe air quality.

The concentration of PM2.5 — fine particulate matter capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory system and triggering health problems — exceeded the government-prescribed safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre by seven to eight times in the capital. It was 30 to 40 times the healthy limit of 15 micrograms per cubic metre set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Several cities in neighbouring Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh have also reported hazardous air quality. Ghaziabad recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 338, Gurugram 364, Noida 348, Greater Noida 439 and Faridabad 382.

Separately, the Supreme Court has also directed Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to ensure that crop residue burning was stopped "forthwith". A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia said Delhi can't be made to go through this year after year.

"There cannot be a political battle every time," the bench told the counsel representing the Punjab government. The court also directed the Delhi government to ensure that municipal solid waste was not burnt in the open.