SC directs CAQM to find ‘longterm solution’ to control air pollution plaguing Delhi-NCR
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed satisfaction over the slew of measures taken by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to control air pollution in Delhi-NCR, even as it directed the commission to invite suggestions from the public and experts to find a “long-term solution” to the problem.
“We are going to list this matter now in the first week of February. We are directing the commission to invite suggestions from experts and public regarding long-term solutions to combat the issue of air pollution and also have a solution by the independent expert body,” said a bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana.
The bench, which included justices Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant, also took note of the CAQM’s affidavit filed a day ago that a decision on the resumption of construction activities and the reopening of schools will be taken by Friday.
During the brief hearing, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Union government and CAQM, took the bench through the latest affidavit, detailing the steps taken and the latest orders of the commission relaxing various curbs on industrial processes and operation of factories and plants.
When the CJI remarked the air quality is “very poor today”, Mehta replied that an expert committee is working to ascertain a long-term solution to the problem of air pollution so that knee-jerk reaction for every year is not needed.
The Capital’s air quality index (AQI) continued in the “very poor” zone on Thursday, with a reading of 368 at 4pm, up from 363 on Wednesday, according to air quality index data released by the Central Pollution Control
Board (CPCB).
On his part, senior counsel Vikas Singh, who appeared for the petitioner in the PIL on pollution control measures, submitted that the issue requires a scientific and a permanent solution instead of annual measures at the intervention of the court. The bench agreed with his views and said that CAQM will, therefore, invite suggestions from experts and the general public on the subject.
Filing its affidavit on Wednesday, CAQM informed the bench that the decisions on reopening schools and lifting the ban on construction in Delhi-NCR will be taken by Friday.
“The representations put forth by various project proponents and associations in the building and construction/ demolition sector, as also by the association of schools/educational institutions are under active examination and consideration by the commission,” CAQM’s affidavit said.