Supreme Court Set to Issue Guidelines on Air Pollution Control Policy for Delhi-NCR Tomorrow
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New Delhi, December 15 (NationPress) The Supreme Court is anticipated to present comprehensive guidelines on Monday about the execution of the policy created by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to address air pollution in Delhi and neighboring states.
According to the causelist available on the apex court's website, a bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Manmohan will hear a public interest litigation (PIL) on December 16 concerning pollution control in the Delhi and NCR region.
During the previous hearing, the Supreme Court indicated that directives would need to be issued for the effective implementation of various elements of the policy devised by the CAQM in July 2022.
“We will establish a timeline for issuing directives for the policy's implementation at the next hearing,” the order given on December 12 stated.
Moreover, it mandated the CAQM to enforce the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage-II in Delhi and surrounding areas, alongside additional measures.
The SC reiterated that restrictions under GRAP-III should be enforced if the AQI exceeds 350, and GRAP-IV should be activated if the AQI surpasses 400 in the near future.
It also urged the state governments of Delhi and the NCR states to deliberate on a permanent prohibition of firecracker usage.
Instructing the state governments to formally present their positions, the apex court mentioned that it would release guidelines concerning the manufacture, storage, sale, and distribution of firecrackers.
It emphasized, “The prohibition on firecrackers will aid in reducing not only air pollution but also noise pollution.” The court plans to contemplate issuing necessary directives to state governments regarding the firecracker ban.
Previously in November, following Diwali, the Supreme Court had stated that the ban on firecrackers was poorly enforced in the national capital and criticized the Delhi government for its lack of action on the firecracker ban.
It requested an affidavit from the Delhi government and Police Commissioner detailing the measures adopted for enforcement.
The apex court proposed that the locations of firecracker vendors should be sealed, and a ban on importing firecrackers from neighboring states should be enforced.
This September, the Delhi government issued a notification prohibiting firecracker use until January 1, 2025, to alleviate air pollution during winter.
The Delhi Environment Minister stated that to maintain clean air in the national capital, a notification was released to reduce pollution caused by firecrackers by prohibiting their use during the winter months. This notification also outlawed online sales and delivery of firecrackers in Delhi.
