Formulate plan to curb pollution: SC tells Centre

The Central government told the court that it has been working on a comprehensive action plan to deal with air pollution nationwide.

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Central government to formulate a plan to curb pollution in other cities along with the national capital.

A boy wears a pollution mask as he crosses a road amid heavy smog in New Delhi in December 2017. (Burhaan Kinu/HT Photo)

A division bench headed by justice Madan B Lokur wondered why the Delhi-NCR region was receiving special treatment when air pollution in Patna and Raipur was even worse.

The Central government told the court that it has been working on a comprehensive action plan to deal with air pollution nationwide and will finalise it soon, adding that it has notified the plan.

It said the Central Pollution Control Board is to issue directions to respective authorities of the Central government, Delhi and National Capital Region on Thursday to take steps as per the timeline laid out in the action plan.

The bench was hearing a PIL filed by environmentalist MC Mehta on various aspects of pollution.