The Supreme Court has taken a strict view of the continuously deteriorating air quality in Delhi-NCR. The court has asked the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan what action has been taken so far against polluting vehicles. It has sought full details of how many vehicles were checked, how many challans were issued and how many vehicles violating the rules were removed from the roads.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana directed the governments and agencies concerned to submit a detailed action plan within two weeks. This will include information on regulating vehicle movement, enforcing emission standards and action against old and polluting vehicles.
The court has also sought a response on the process of issuing pollution under control (PUC) certificates and checking them. It has also asked what system is in place to stop vehicles that do not meet the prescribed emission standards. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the Delhi government, traffic police and the three neighbouring states will have to respond in this regard.
During the hearing, pollution caused by vehicles was treated as a serious problem for the region. According to a report by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), vehicles account for about 23 percent of total pollution in NCR during winter and 19 percent during summer.
The next hearing in the matter will be held on November 23. The court has made it clear that merely framing rules is not enough; their effective implementation must also be ensured.
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