Batting for a long-term solution for air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to impose year-round restrictions on all activities prohibited under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) — a set of emergency measures to control pollution.
The court asked the Punjab and Haryana Governments to strictly follow the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on the issue of stubble burning.
“If the CAQM’s suggestions to Punjab and Haryana are implemented, then stubble burning can be adequately tackled. Thus, we direct both States to have a combined meeting and ensure that the CAQM’s suggestions are scrupulously implemented,” a bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria said.
“It is also stated that the Union environment minister held a meeting on November 11 and that within a day, appropriate instructions could be taken to find out appropriate steps to be taken to deal with the menace of pollution,” it said.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati was asked to apprise the court of the complete plan of action on November 19, the next date of hearing, when the court will also issue directions.
At the outset, the bench said that from time to time, several orders have been passed to deal with the high level of air pollution.
“However, we are of the view, which is agreed by amicus (curiae) and the ASG, that the issue cannot be looked at with a temporary solution and a long-drawn solution needs to be looked at,” it said.
Senior advocate and amicus curiae Aprajita Singh said that though Punjab’s affidavit said that stubble burning incidents have gone down, there is no reduction in pollution levels.
Noting the submissions of senior advocate Gopal Sankarnarayanan, appearing for one of the parties, the bench said he stated that Delhi has become a gas chamber and that all activities prohibited from GRAP 1 onwards should be prohibited for the entire year.
“The restriction to be imposed on activities in Delhi in (a) graded manner taking into consideration AQI standards has been finalised by the expert(s) in the field on scientific data. We do not possess expertise to deal with the same. We are therefore not inclined to act on the submission of Mr Sankarnarayanan that all activities (prohibited from GRAP 1 onwards) be stopped in Delhi,” the CJI said.
