The Supreme Court today made strong remarks on the toxic air quality in the national capital, calling for urgent steps to tackle the menace.
Against the backdrop of political differences and their role in blocking a proper resolution to the problem, the court said, "This can't become a political battle. It's a murder of people's health."
Directing state governments to take immediate steps to stop stubble burning, the court said, "We want it stopped. We don't know how you do it, it's your job. But it must be stopped. Something has to be done immediately."
The court also pulled up Delhi government. "Delhi government also must be responsible. There are many buses running that pollute and run at half capacity. You have to attend to the problem," it said.
The court also commented on the odd-even scheme announced by Delhi government to check the pollution levels. Schemes like odd-even for vehicles to tackle pollution issue are "mere optics", the court said.
The court also asked if paddy cultivation can be stopped in Punjab. "The crop is destroying the water table of the state," it said.
Delhi is gearing up to build one of India's most advanced e-waste processing facilities, and it's taking cues from Norway's cutting-edge model.
The national capital on Sunday recorded a maximum temperature of 33.6 degrees Celsius, 7.8 notches below the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Air Quality Management Commission admitted it has not conducted any research or study on pollution caused by diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years, which form the basis of the overage vehicle ban in Delhi-NCR.
Monsoon Diseases Prevention: Monsoon brings welcome relief but also triggers respiratory health issues like cold, flu, asthma and pneumonia, due to high humidity, mould, dust, air pollution and viral outbreaks.
The Supreme Court has upheld the powers of the pollution control boards to impose restitutionary and compensatory damages for environmental harm, saying that prevention and remediation must be at the heart of environmental governance.
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