Better to kill all in one go: SC on air pollution

New Delhi, Nov. 25: The Supreme Court issued a notice to all states on Monday seeking a report on air quality, drinking water and garbage disposal, and asked the Centre to take a concrete decision within 10 days on having smog towers in Delhi-NCR to combat pollution which has shortened the life span of millions of citizens. Expressing displeasure over the failure of states in preventing stubble burning, the apex court said: “Should this be tolerated? Is this not worse than internal war? You better finish them all with explosives.” The bench said that the life span of millions of citizens has shortened and people are “suffocating” due to pollution in Delhi-NCR. “Can you treat people like this and permit them to die due to pollution,” asked the bench. “Why people are in this gas chamber? You better finish them all. This wrong is going on for long,” it said. The apex court expressed displeasure over the performance of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar

■ The Supreme Court slammed the Punjab, Haryana governments for increase in stubble burning despite its order prohibiting it

■ The bench said that the life span of citizens has shortened and Delhiites are ‘suffocating’

Pradesh and Delhi to combat pollution and sought to know as to why they should not be asked to compensate people affected by bad air quality.

A bench of justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta termed as alarming the stubble burning situation and said not only the state machinery but farmers were also responsible for it.

It also sought a report from the Central Pollution Control Board and the concerned states on steps taken to check pollution in rivers, including Ganga and Yamuna.

It has asked the Centre

■ It also asked to explain within 6 weeks as to why states should not be made liable to pay compensation to persons affected

■ Taking serious note of water pollution, it said people have the right to get pure drinking water

and concerned stakeholders to take concrete decision within 10 days on having smog towers in Delhi-NCR to combat air pollution.

The court slammed the Punjab and Haryana governments for increase in stubble burning despite its order prohibiting it and said people in Delhi can’t be left to die due to air pollution.

The apex court slammed the Centre and states for “blame game” on the issue of water and air pollution in Delhi.

The bench said that “right to life of human is being endangered” by the bad air quality and water pollution and the states have to deal with the situation as “life span is being shortened” due to this.

The Supreme Court also asked all the states to explain within six weeks as to why they should not be made liable to pay compensation to persons affected by bad air quality saying it is their bounden duty to provide basic civic amenities, clean air and drinking water to citizens

“Time has come to require the state governments to explain why they should not be asked to compensate persons who are affected by bad air quality,” the bench said and asked the states, "Why liability should not be saddled for the tortious act of government machinery for their failure in discharging their duties”.

Taking serious note of water pollution in Delhi, it said people have the right to get pure drinking water.

“We are ‘literally shocked’ that water is polluted in Delhi and blame game is going on. What is this happening,” the bench said.