"What about the fires at landfill sites? Something has to be done about it. Is the government taking steps? We also propose to take up the issue of waste management in landfill sites," a bench of Justices B D Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva noted, fixing the issue for hearing on May 19.

The high court's decision to examine the status of landfill sites came after it expressed concern over the fires, adding to the already polluted city air and aggravating health problems, even as court appointed amicus curiae in the air pollution case, Kailash Vasudev, highlighted that presence of methane in landfill sites make these potential fire hazards.

The court also pulled up the Centre and the Delhi government for "no action" in reducing pollution. "There is all talk, affidavits and reports...but what action has been taken on the ground? We want proof. It has to be tangible. Show us map/photographs. We want action now," the bench noted, asking the Delhi government to submit a report on the total forest and ridge area it filed as part of its affidavits to the Supreme Court in 1996, and the current situation. Vasudev said this report will reveal the deterioration in the city's forest cover. The high court then gave six weeks time to the government to file the report.

The court also directed the traffic police to come up with a plan and a timeline to utilise the unused funds given to it to improve the traffic management system in the capital. It was surprised to note from a report filed by the police that the latter utilised only Rs 100.67 crore of the Rs 275.08 crore given to it under the 12th plan in 2012 for modernisation of traffic and communication network.

Demanding a detailed roadmap on how the traffic police intends to utilise the remaining Rs 175 crore, the high court said the report must also contain a timeline for implementation of its intelligent traffic management system, use of helicopters for traffic management and acquisition of modern equipment.