The Supreme Court of India took strong action on December 17, 2025, to address Delhi-NCR's severe air pollution. It asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to think about temporarily closing or moving nine toll plazas at the capital's entry points. This is to ease the usual heavy traffic, which worsens pollution levels. Chief Justice Surya Kant said, "Let us think of pragmatic and practical solutions of the menace," stressing that existing pollution controls are weak in enforcement. The MCD was given just one week to decide on the toll plaza closures. The court also noted that pollution is an "annual feature" and called for stronger actions from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the NCR governments. They must work on long-term plans for urban mobility, traffic, and stopping farmers from burning crop stubble. On the issue of workers impacted by pollution rules, the court asked the Delhi government to quickly verify construction workers who cannot work and to directly transfer financial aid to their bank accounts. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati said about 7,000 of 2.5 lakh registered workers have been verified so far. The court warned, "It should not be that money transferred to workers’ accounts disappears or travels to another account." It also urged alternative jobs be found for these workers. The bench refused to change the Delhi government's school closures for children up to Class 5, as the winter break is near. The court has set the next hearing on this public interest petition for January 6, 2026, and said it will hear it at least twice every month to ensure continuous attention to the pollution crisis.