New Delhi: Observing that the air pollution in the capital is a “public health emergency as the limits have gone beyond the human permissible levels”, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre to devise a common minimum graded response to tackle the menace. The apex court has been monitoring the air pollution issue and has passed a series of orders in the last one year to effectively control pollution.
Hearing a report of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), a three-judge Bench comprising the Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justices A.K. Sikri and S.A. Bobde expressed great concern over the alarming levels of pollution in the national capital region. Terming it as a public health emergency, the court asked the Centre to come with a disaster response mechanism that will be put in place when air pollution level begins to increase.
The CJI said “Cities like Beijing and Singapore have a graded system of shutting schools, vehicles, Industries and finally city itself if pollution crosses certain level. Do our country has such a policy.”
“Graded system means if the pollution level goes up to certain level vehicles are shut and if it goes higher, schools are shut and still higher city is shut (patch),” the CJI added. The CJI suggested that the common minimum graded response will come into action at different levels. Asking the Centre to apprise it about the policy, if any, to tackle the issue of rising, the court gave 48 hours to the central government to submit before it the action plan.
The SG told the court “give us two days time so that we will convene a meeting of the environment secretary and other stake holders in Delhi and come with suggestions.”
Justice Sikri told the SG “when political parties can come together to have a common minimum programme, why can’t the Centre, the Delhi government and other agencies come together to have a common minimum programme.”
Earlier counsel Aparajitha for EPCA brought to the notice of the court that the various orders passed by the apex court have not been properly implemented by the agencies concerned. She said that Rs 8 crores had been collected through diesel cess and Rs 440 crore through ECC (environment compensatory charge), which can be properly utilised to check air pollution.”
The court had strong words for the Delhi government for not doing much on vacuum cleaning, controlling dust on construction. Senior counsel said out of six vacuum cleaners, only two are working.
NGT flays states, Centre for negligence
Taking Delhi and its neighbouring states to task for not even reading its orders to curb pollution, National Green Tribunal on Tuesday castigated them and the Centre for “playing a joke” on the people by doing nothing in the first five days when toxic smog engulfed the national capital region.
The green panel slammed the states for not taking steps to control stubble burning and gave a slew of directions, including giving a complete mechanism to implement its directions to curb air pollution by Wednesday.
Criticising the secretaries of Environment and Urban Development of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh for not implementing its orders on crop burning, the tribunal asked them to read all its judgements and analyse and inform the steps they would take to implement them.
“First, we want to know how many of you have read the orders on air pollution and implemented them? And if you say yes, remember you are falling into a trap because we will ask you about it. If you have not read it, be honest,” it asked the officers.
