‘Can’t leave people to die’: SC raps govts for bad air

■ 3 chief secys told to be in court tomorrow

Attacking the government authorities for leaving people to die due to their failure to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the chief secretaries of neighbouring Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to be present in court on Wednesday to explain what steps they have taken to curb stubble burning in their states. Observing that people in Delhi-NCR were losing “precious years of their lives” and cannot be “left to die” due to the “atrocious” pollution situation which reflects a “shocking state of affairs”, the court said all officers and authorities right from the chief secretary to the gram sarpanch would be held accountable for even a single incident of stubble burning. The court also questioned Delhi’s AAP government about the logic behind the 12day “odd-even” scheme, implemented in Delhi from Monday, and ordered it to produce data to prove that the road rationing plan reduces pollution. The National Green Tribunal on Monday also took cognisance of the deteriorating air quality and asked officials of the Delhi government, the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and the environment ministry to appear before it on Tuesday.

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Why are crops still being burnt? This happens every year and the govt doesn’t do anything. We will call all those responsible here and settle it now. — Supreme Court

A two-member Supreme Court bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta ruled that those violating the ban on construction and demolition in the Delhi-NCR region will be fined `1 lakh, while the fine for burning garbage will be `5,000. It also directed all municipal bodies to prevent open dumping of garbage.

On the road-rationing scheme, the Supreme Court said: “Cars create less pollution. What are you (Delhi) getting from this odd-even scheme? Banning diesel vehicles we can understand, but what is the point of the oddeven scheme?”

The court also sought data or records from the Aam Aadmi Party government by Friday to prove that the oddeven scheme has reduced pollution in Delhi, as autos, taxis and two-wheelers continue to ply on the roads.

The bench also asked the Delhi government whether it really thinks people will start sharing their trips with others during the odd-even scheme.

“The issue is that you are stopping one vehicle, but other vehicles will ply. You have to augment public transport,” the bench said, adding: “You do not have funds for the Metro. You are not contributing for this.” Justice Gupta said: “Three years back when I joined as a Supreme Court judge, it was said 3,000 buses will be added to public transport. Till now, only 300 odd buses have been added.”

The court pulled up the Centre and state governments over the toxic haze enveloping Delhi, saying the city was choking every year and this could not be allowed in a civilised country as the right to life was most important. “This can’t go on. The Delhi government and the Centre can’t just pass the buck to each other. People aren’t safe even inside their houses and rooms.”

“Why are crops still being burnt? This happens every year and the government doesn’t do anything. We will call all those responsible here and settle it now,” the court said, adding it would now monitor stubble burning. The bench was told by senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae, that as per the Centre’s affidavit crop burning has risen by seven per cent in Punjab and is down by 17 per cent in Haryana.

Describing the situation as grim, Justice Mishra, who is heading the bench, said: “It is worse than the Emergency. That Emergency was better than this emergency.”