Top officials of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi were slammed by the Supreme Court for their failure to control the wave of pollution that has gripped most of north India. Accusing the officials of failing to plan ahead or take action and blaming it all on farmers, the court said, "The time has come to punish officers". The court blamed Punjab Chief Secretary for not being able to control stubble-burning, which is one of the major contributors to pollution.