NEW DELHI: Slamming the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) over its failure to curb air pollution due to crop residue burning, the Supreme Court on Friday observed that the air quality panel needed to be more active in its approach in dealing with the issue.
A two-judge bench of Justices Abha S Oka and Augustine George Masih expressed its dissatisfaction with the CAQM’s report on the stubble burning issue and sought a better compliance report. It fixed the matter for further hearing on October 3.
Underscoring that the Commission should do its best to ensure that stubble-burning alternative equipment is used at the grassroots level, the top court asked for effective steps taken in this regard. “There has been total non-compliance of the Act. Please show us a single direction issued to any stakeholder under the Act,” Justice Oka said, questioning whether any substantive steps had been taken to address the problem.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, senior law officer representing the Central govt, emphasised that effective steps such as issuing advisories and guidelines to manage the crisis have been taken in this regard. The apex court, however, was unimpressed.
“It is all in the air, nothing they have shown regarding what has been done in the National Capital Region (NCR) states,” Justice Oka observed. “Not a single committee has been formed to tackle the stubble burning issue. Every
year, we witness stubble burning, indicating total non-compliance with the CAQM Act. Have any committees been constituted? Show us one step taken. What directions have you utilised under the Act? You are merely silent spectators,” the bench said.
Amicus curiae Aparajita Singh pointed out that the CAQM was not doing enough to tackle the issue. “What effective action are they taking? ... If it is still continuing year after year, then these are not answers,” Singh told the bench.
‘Total non-compliance’
A two-judge bench expressed dissatisfaction with the CAQM’s report on the stubble burning and sought a better compliance report. “There has been total non-compliance of the Act,” it said.