Old vehicles

Appropriate action would be taken by authorities concerned on such complaints, the court said.

The Supreme Court issued its directions after advocate Aparajita Singh’s application pointed to a complete absence of effective complaint mechanism where citizens can lodge a complaint and expect prompt action.

The top court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) has taken preemptive steps under the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap), which is aimed at tackling air pollution in Delhi-ncr and adjoining areas.

Acting on CPCB recommenda- tions, EPCA has banned construction activities in the National Capital Region between November 1 and November 10, among other steps. It also asked authorities to crack down on visibly polluting vehicles.

Hearing a separate case, the top court came down heavily on a non-profit organisation that questioned a 2017 circular by the Delhi government that asked schools to spread awareness among students on the harmful effects of cracker bursting. A bench led by justice AK Sikri slapped a fine of ₹1 lakh on the petitioner. The petitioner submitted that the circular, based on a 2005 judgment by the top court that for the first time fixed hours for bursting crackers, hurt the religious sentiments of those who celebrated Diwali.

“How can you challenge such a circular? Schools started with the awareness campaign much before this circular came. This has been going on for last many years. What is wrong with such a circular?” the court asked, terming it a complete misuse of the PIL platform.