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Day after SC rebuke, IIT-B signs MoU to build smog towers in Capital
New Delhi The Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay (IIT-B) has signed an agreement with the Central government to construct a smog tower on an experimental basis
New Delhi The Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay (IIT-B) has signed an agreement with the Central government to construct a smog tower on an experimental basis in Delhi within 10 months to curb air pollution.
The development came a day after the Supreme Court passed harsh remarks against IIT-B and the Centre for violating its January 13, 2020 order and threatened contempt action for breaching the earlier deadline of three months to install the first such tower at Connaught Place.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, informed a bench headed by justice Arun Mishra that after Wednesday’s hearing, the Centre contacted IIT-B and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IIT-B to complete the smog tower project in 10 months. Mehta also said the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, U.S, would provide the drawing for the tower in two months.
Irked by the deadline getting pushed ahead, the bench, which also comprised justices BR Gavai and Krishna Murari said, “We will not tolerate this laxity. Is this the way you must be dealing with this matter…..Why are the drawings not ready till today when our order of January 13 said it should be completed within three months. While passing that order, we were informed that drawings are ready. Only dispute was with respect to the time to set it up.”
With the IIT-B director present during the hearing through videoconferencing, Mehta told the court that the query about drawings should be directed to IIT-B. To this the bench replied, “Our direction was to your ministry. It’s a government project and you must make it work. You make it fait accompli by putting the blame on IIT-B. There seems to be no intention on your part to comply with our order even now.”
The S-G requested time till Tuesday to present the entire plan on affidavit. He informed the court that the MoU between CPCB and IIT-B was digitally signed, a copy of which will be presented. The bench allowed the prayer and posted the matter for Tuesday.
