NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has noted that the action plan for tackling air pollution in the city, submitted by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) lacks “base/existing figures” for all the districts in the NCR.
The principal bench of the tribunal headed by chairperson Prakash Shrivastava was dealing with issues relating to the deteriorating air quality in Delhi during winter.Going through the CAQM report, the bench said it had specifically directed that an action plan in “quantifiable terms should be prepared for all districts in the NCR.”
“The action plan should cover each district of NCT and NCR with the existing situation in absolute sense so as to take actions for mitigation. Contrarily, it appears to be difficult that unless base or existing figures are available, how mitigation will be achieved,” the green court noted.
The NGT also noted that the CAQM has “shifted the responsibility on different agencies without having due regard to the powers which have been conferred upon it.“Almost all the agencies responsible for controlling the air quality in the national capital have their representation in the commission and it has very wide powers,” it was noted in the order.
Section 14 of the Act empowers the commission to levy penalty and also make a complaint for prosecution and Section 15 gives powers for levying compensation, the tribunal asserted.
“We find that under Section 12, with other sections noted above, the commission has very wide powers and it is not solely dependent upon the different agencies for taking action to achieve the object of the Act,” the order read.The CAQM was also directed to submit a report disclosing the powers exercised by it under different subsections of Section 12 of the Act.
CAQM shifting blame
The NGT noted that the CAQM has “shifted the responsibility on different agencies without having due regard to the powers conferred upon it.