As Delhi battles bad air, new commission to fight pollution still to be formed

As Delhi’s air on Thursday deteriorated to its worst level in a year, a newly announced commission to replace the Supreme Court-appointed environment pollution control authority (Epca) was yet to take shape amid concerns over the implementation of urgent measures for pollution control action.

As Delhi’s air on Thursday deteriorated to its worst level in a year, a newly announced commission to replace the Supreme Court-appointed environment pollution control authority (Epca) was yet to take shape amid concerns over the implementation of urgent measures for pollution control action.

A view of Rajpath engulfed in thick haze amid rising air pollution levels, in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, November 4, 2020. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

On Thursday last week, the Union government issued an ordinance and put in place a new anti-pollution agency with sweeping powers spanning five states, where it will monitor and act against sources of air pollution. The ordinance, issued by the ministry of law and justice as per its commitment to Supreme Court, sets up what will be an 18-member Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for the National Capital Region (NCR).

At 450, the average air quality index in the national capital was in the “severe” category for the first time this season on Thursday. It is expected to slide further with farm fires continuing unabated in neighbouring states.

Senior environment ministry official said they were working on rules for the functioning of the commission and the selection of members, with an announcement likely soon. “We are working on it so that the commission can start functioning at the earliest,” said Ravi Agrawal, additional secretary, environment ministry.

The members of the new commission are to be drawn from Union ministries, NGOs and administrations from each of the five NCR or NCR-adjacent states: Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court last Thursday that the government “will do everything on a war footing to curb air pollution”.

The new commission replaces all ad-hoc committees and bodies created under court orders, including Epca, which was tasked with overseeing air pollution control in NCR since 1998.

But experts suggested that the outgoing Epca should not have been dissolved until the commission was in place.

Santosh Harish, fellow, Centre for Policy Research, said: “The process of promulgating this ordinance has raised many questions on the need for such haste in creating a new commission and the absence of any public input, but the timing also is questionable. There is an institutional vacuum currently with the Epca dissolved, and the new commission yet to be constituted. Even after the members are selected, it will presumably take some time for rules and procedures to be created, staff recruited and funds provided to make the commission fully functional. This year’s winter smog might well have passed by the time all this is done.”