India, Dec. 18 -- Terming measures taken so far to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR a "total failure", the Supreme Court on Wednesday sent the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) back to the drawing board, calling for a comprehensive long-term strategy to address the annual crisis, specifically asking it to focus on issues such as urban mobility, cleaner industrial processes, energy use and stubble burning.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, underlined that ad hoc and short-term responses cannot deliver any meaningful reduction in pollution levels.

"Whatever efforts were taken so far, they have failed. We have to think of long term," the bench remarked, sta...