Taking in view the rising issues related to environment in the country, the Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Central government, seeking its response over the establishment of an ‘Indian Environment Service’.
A Bench comprising Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice M.M. Sundresh passed the order on a petition filed by Samar Vijay Singh.
The petitioner mentioned a report submitted by a High-Level Committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF) under the chairmanship of former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian in 2014, which inter alia, recommended creation of a new All-India service, the “Indian Environment Service”.
The Bench, however, said that it has prima facie doubt as to how a writ of mandamus could be issued on such a prayer.
A petition filed by Samar Vijay Singh mentioned a report submitted by a High-Level Committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF) under the chairmanship of former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian in 2014, which inter alia, recommended creation of a new All-India service, the “Indian Environment Service”.
The Committee had observed that necessary institutional framework needs to be created, building on the existing systems, to meet future needs.
The petition, filed by Senior Advocate K Sultan Singh, had also proposed a National Environment Research Institute “on the lines of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education,” to bring in the application of high-end technology in environmental governance.
It said environmental degradation was one of the primary causes of diseases, health issues and long-term livelihood.
The plea placed reliance on the report, while also highlighting the air pollution plaguing Delhi and other metros.
“In the current situation, the air pollution level in Delhi-NCR region and other metropolitan cities has crossed the safe limits of breathing and made policymakers look for instant solutions to bring relief to the citizens,” the plea said.
The petition also prayed for setting up an Indian Environmental Service Academy to train officers for environmental law enforcement.
A Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) had rejected the TSR Subramanian Report, noting that the three-month period given to the HLC for reviewing six environmental Acts was “too short”, and recommended that the government should constitute a new committee to review the laws.