NEW DELHI: The Central government submitted before the Supreme Court on Thursday that an ordinance has been brought in order to deal with the air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region and adjoining areas.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde said it would like to look at ordinance before passing any order after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, submitted that an ordinance was promulgated today.
"Some expert told us informally that air pollution is not only because of stubble burning. You lawyers will also have to get down of your big, beautiful cars and ride cycles. Not motorcycles, bicycles," the CJI Bobde remarked after Mehta told the court that a law has been brought.
The matter was adjourned and slated to come up for further hearing on next Friday.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice remarked in a light vein, "If any of the parties here fall sick because of air pollution till next date then you are solely responsible. Ensure no one falls sick due to air pollution."
Earlier, the Centre had submitted before the apex court that it is contemplating to create a permanent body by enacting legislation to deal with annual air pollution issue in Delhi-NCR arising from stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had earlier said that the government will bring new legislation in 3-4 days and asked the court to keep in abeyance the Justice Lokur Committee.
Mehta had sought directions to keep in abeyance it's October 16 order of appointing former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B Lokur as one-man commission to look into the issue of air pollution and stubble burning, which was allowed by the court.
The top court was hearing a plea, which referred to a Harvard University study that air pollution may now be an important factor that aggravates a mild COVID-19 infection into an acute one, had contended that stubble burning contributes almost 40 per cent of air pollution in Delhi.
It had sought directions to ban stubble burning in the states neighbouring the national capital as it cases massive air pollution in the winters.