High court asks Delhi’s neighbours what steps they have taken to check air pollution

It had last year issued directions to Delhi’s neighbouring states to prevent or curb the practice of stubble burning during autumn and winter. It had issued similar directions regarding bursting of crackers during Diwali.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the central, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan governments to inform it about the steps taken to check air pollution due to stubble burning and crackers.

It had last year issued directions to Delhi’s neighbouring states to prevent or curb the practice of stubble burning during autumn and winter. It had issued similar directions regarding bursting of crackers during Diwali.

A bench of Justice S Ravindra Bhat and Justice SP Garg said it would deal with the issue “keeping in mind the onset of autumn, Diwali and winter, which has seen an increase in pollution levels to alarming proportions in the last three to four years”.

The court made the National Capital Region Planning Board a party to the proceedings and listed the matter for hearing on July 18.

The directions came when the court was hearing a petition initiated by itself to address the issue of rising air pollution in the national capital.

It had last year issued directions to Delhi’s neighbouring states to prevent or curb the practice of stubble burning during autumn and winter. It had issued similar directions regarding bursting of crackers during Diwali.

During the hearing, amicus curiae Kailash Vasdev said the court’s directions to ease traffic congestion in Anand Vihar were not being complied with by the authorities, including the Indian Railways, which is to build a foot over bridge and an access road near the bus depot there.

The bench said the return of encroachments in the area along with the lack of a foot over bridge or access road to divert vehicles turned the place into a “traffic nightmare”.

The Railways assured the court that the work would be completed by October 1 this year.