By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Expressing serious concern over worsening air quality in the national capital and adjoining states, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan governments to file affidavits on the steps they have taken to control the air pollution including curbing of stubble burning.
A bench of Justices S.K. Kaul, Sudhanshu Dhulia, and Prashant Kumar Mishra noted that on the ground there is no improvement despite many steps taken to combat pollution, and steps shown to control air pollution are only on paper.
Before the bench, emphasising the steps taken to reduce pollution, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) submitted that there is a reduction of 40 per cent in the air pollution compared to the past two or three years, saying crop burning is a major contributing factor behind the pollution.
Taking note of the status report of the commission which was filed in compliance with the top court’s October 10 order, the bench said the report is comprehensive and also sought an affidavit from states as suggested by senior advocate Aparajita Singh, the Amicus Curiae, who is assisting the court in the matter.
In the previous hearing, Singh had informed the bench about the problem of air pollution as Diwali is approaching and also about crop residue burning. “…we call upon the states of Punjab, Haryana, UP, Rajasthan, and Delhi to file their affidavits within a week…Commission will also state before us in a tabular form the result for the relevant period which is when the problem starts till one day before the next date,” the bench ordered.
Notably, according to data published by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the air quality in Delhi continued to remain in the ‘very poor’ category on Tuesday.
On October 6, the CAQM had directed government authorities in the National Capital Region to enforce a ban on use of coal in hotels and restaurants and to take punitive measures against polluting industries and thermal power plants as the air quality in Delhi deteriorated.
The directions were issued as part of the pollution control plan known as ‘Graded Response Action Plan’ (GRAP) which is implemented in Delhi-NCR to combat air pollution during the winter season.
The CAQM is an autonomous body tasked with improving the air quality in Delhi and its adjoining areas. Follow channel on WhatsApp
NEW DELHI: Expressing serious concern over worsening air quality in the national capital and adjoining states, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan governments to file affidavits on the steps they have taken to control the air pollution including curbing of stubble burning.
A bench of Justices S.K. Kaul, Sudhanshu Dhulia, and Prashant Kumar Mishra noted that on the ground there is no improvement despite many steps taken to combat pollution, and steps shown to control air pollution are only on paper.
Before the bench, emphasising the steps taken to reduce pollution, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) submitted that there is a reduction of 40 per cent in the air pollution compared to the past two or three years, saying crop burning is a major contributing factor behind the pollution.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Taking note of the status report of the commission which was filed in compliance with the top court’s October 10 order, the bench said the report is comprehensive and also sought an affidavit from states as suggested by senior advocate Aparajita Singh, the Amicus Curiae, who is assisting the court in the matter.
In the previous hearing, Singh had informed the bench about the problem of air pollution as Diwali is approaching and also about crop residue burning.
“…we call upon the states of Punjab, Haryana, UP, Rajasthan, and Delhi to file their affidavits within a week…Commission will also state before us in a tabular form the result for the relevant period which is when the problem starts till one day before the next date,” the bench ordered.
Notably, according to data published by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the air quality in Delhi continued to remain in the ‘very poor’ category on Tuesday.
On October 6, the CAQM had directed government authorities in the National Capital Region to enforce a ban on use of coal in hotels and restaurants and to take punitive measures against polluting industries and thermal power plants as the air quality in Delhi deteriorated.
The directions were issued as part of the pollution control plan known as ‘Graded Response Action Plan’ (GRAP) which is implemented in Delhi-NCR to combat air pollution during the winter season.
The CAQM is an autonomous body tasked with improving the air quality in Delhi and its adjoining areas. Follow channel on WhatsApp
