NEW DELHI: Coming down heavily on the centre and state governments for passing the buck to each other for not managing the rising pollution levels in Delhi, the Supreme Court on Saturday, November 13, 2021, asked the governments to look beyond politics and find an immediate solution.
During an urgent hearing headed by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, Justices D Y Chandrachud and Suryakant proposed a few measures of its own, including a two-day lockdown, and stressed the need for emergent intervention, noting that schools had reopened and children were at risk of being exposed to pollution.
The court was hearing a PIL filed last year by a 17-year-old boy on the deteriorating air quality in Delhi around Diwali and winter. Other than the lockdown, some immediate measures suggested by the bench to tackle the current state of severe air quality include a hold on stubble-burning, if there is any, in the states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh till the air quality improves. The special bench gave the central government time until Monday to come up with its plan.
“The situation is extremely severe. We have to wear masks even while staying inside our homes. Think of two days lockdown otherwise how will people live?” CJI Ramana told solicitor general Tushar Mehta. Mehta assured the bench that the central authority constituted to find remedial measures to keep Delhi’s air quality in control will convene a meeting on Saturday evening and some emergent steps would be taken thereafter.
Justice Chandrachud expressed concern over the potential threat to children for whom schools have just reopened after the pandemic in Delhi and questioned the Delhi government counsel, senior advocate Rahul Mehra, for keeping schools open during such severe times.
“Look at the seriousness of the problem, schools have opened post-Covid and children will be out at 7 in the morning. We are exposing them not just to the pandemic, but even to pollution and dengue,” the judge added. He asked Mehra if the Delhi government had any plan in place on the issue of reopening schools. “Have you responded to this emergent situation, keeping the students in mind? You are exposing their lungs to these pollutants,” the judge said.