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'We will not close this matter': Supreme Court to Centre on Delhi air pollution
The apex court asserted that it is not concerned about elections and sought steps taken by the government to improve the pollution situation in the national capital.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Centre regarding the air pollution levels in the national capital and said it will not close the air pollution case and give final orders. “The problem is that there are a lot of expectations that the court is doing and the government is not doing anything,” the top court said, adding that due to the seriousness of the issue it will continue to hear this matter.
A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana, Justices DY Chandrachud, and Surya Kant suggested that the government relies upon a statistical-based model on wind patterns to take advance measures to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR before the situation deteriorates further.
Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner, activist Aditya Dubey, told the Supreme Court that as per a media report this year due to elections in Punjab, fines were not being imposed to please farmers.
The bench replied saying it is not concerned about elections. "We can’t micromanage what each state is doing. You said the situation will improve. Please tell us what steps you have taken," the Supreme Court asserted.
The apex court also asked Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments about any study to show how much stubble has been removed from these states and what emission control methods have been adopted.
The Supreme Court will hear the case next on November 29.
“In the meantime, if the pollution level becomes 100, then some restrictions can be lifted,” it said.
Delhi's air quality slipped into the ‘very poor’ category on Wednesday morning once again, after improving marginally, as low temperatures and slow surface winds allowed accumulation of pollutants. The capital city's air quality index (AQI) read 357 at 9am.
