NEW DELHI: The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and its Adjoining Areas, formed by the Centre last year in October, stands dissolved as the ordinance under which it was established has lapsed.
Union Environment Secretary R P Gupta said the since ordinance was not introduced in Parliament within six weeks of its convention, it has lapsed and consequently, the commission also has been shut down within five months of its constitution.
Any ordinance has to be introduced within six weeks of convening of Parliament. Amid alarming levels of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Centre had introduced the ordinance that set up the commission, headed by former petroleum secretary M M Kutty, and provided for up to five years of jail term and Rs one crore fine for violators with immediate effect.
Official sources from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said the ordinance may be introduces in the next session of Parliament. Till then, the state pollution control board and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will be the supervising authorities.
Under the ordinance released by the Ministry of Law and Justice on October 28, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) was dissolved and replaced by the 20-member commission to ensure strict compliance to pollution norms.
The commission was bestowed the power to lay down parameters of air quality and discharge of environmental pollutants, inspect premises violating the law and order closure of non-abiding industries/plants, among others.
The commission had the power to restrict any industry, operations or processes or class of industries that could have implications on air quality in the region which included areas in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, adjoining areas of the NCR and Delhi where any source of pollution was located.