New Delhi, Dec. 16 -- The Supreme Court on Monday observed that its orders on Delhi's air pollution cannot be "forcibly enforced" and that tackling the crisis would require a broader change in lifestyle and public understanding, as it agreed to take up the matter on Wednesday amid hazardous air conditions gripping the Capital.

With toxic smog enveloping Delhi and schools and government offices switching to hybrid modes of functioning, the issue was mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as part of the long-running MC Mehta case on air pollution.

Senior advocate Aparajita Singh, assisting the court as amicus curiae, flagged continued violations of court directives even as air quality plunged to dangerous lev...