The Centre has issued an ordinance, making pollution an offence with a jail term, which can go up to 5 years and a penalty up to Rs 1 crore. The ordinance, was issued on Wednesday night after the approval of the President. Earlier, this week Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, during the hearing of a PIL seeking ban on stubble burning, had informed the Supreme Court that the Centre will enact a law to combat the menace of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, and urged the court to keep its order of a one-man panel of former apex court judge Justice Madan B. Lokur in abeyance to monitor steps to contain stubble burning. The top court is scheduled to hear this PIL later in the day.

According to the ordinance, a Commission for Air Quality Management will be set up for the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. "Any non-compliance of this Ordinance, rules made there under or any other order or direction issued by the Commission shall be an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to five years or with fine which may extend up to one crore rupees or with both", said the ordinance.