The Supreme Court on Thursday said the views of the people and those of experts needed to be called for by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) as part of long-term measures to overcome the perennial pollution problem especially during the winter months in Delhi and the National capital Region.
The Special Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice N.V. Ramana, Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Surya Kant was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the Centre would be taking a call on continuing ban on construction and other industries which were banned following the fall in air quality.
Mehta informed the court that a committee had been formed to look into a long-term solution with experts from the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) so that no knee-jerk reactions are resorted to every year.
Appearing for the petitioner Aditya Dubey, Senior Advocate Vikas Singh also pushed for a permanent solution to the pollution crisis, saying cessation of work may bring pollution down but resuming operations will revive the hazardous situation.
Mehta said there is continuous inspection being carried out on industries by 40 flying squads constituted by the CAQM. CJI Ramana noted that air quality in the capital still continued to be very poor.
The CAQM informed the Apex Court that a decision on the opening of schools and construction activities in Delhi-NCR will be taken on December 17. The CAQM told the Court that milk and dairy processing units have been permitted to restart 24×7 operations.
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Medicines, drugs, and life-saving equipment industries to resume full-time operations; Paper and pulp processing industries to work five times a week. Apart from this, six thermal power plants which were closed in view of the power requirements have been allowed to start again.
After which the Court has posted the matter for hearing for the first week of February next year.
Earlier on Wednesday, the CAQM in NCR submitted an affidavit before the Apex Court stating that it has decided to lift the ban on certain industries including medical, paddy diary, paper and textile industries.
After Diwali, the Apex Court had earlier passed a series of orders resulting in the closure of industries and ban on entry of trucks into the capital, except those carrying essential goods.
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