The Supreme Court has asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to come up with concrete steps to prevent stubble burning in the states. SG Tushar Mehta has agreed to file an affidavit in this regard.
A three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice S. A. Bobde, Justice A. S. Bopanna and Justice V. Ramasubramanian was hearing the matter filed by Aditya Dubey (Minor) a class 12th student seeking direction to the Punjab and Haryana governments to ban stubble burning, which usually takes place between September and December every year, against the backdrop of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
During the hearing on Monday, Senior Counsel Vikas Singh said that though the season of stubble burning is over but the government should start planning to prevent it next year.
Following which the CJI directs Tushar Mehta to come up with concrete steps to prevent stubble burning in the states.
The Solicitor General Tushar Mehta agreed to file a detailed report.
The Court list the matter for hearing after a week.
The Supreme Court on the previous occasion had asked the Centre to apprise it about the steps taken so far by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas to tackle air pollution.
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The Court had earlier put its order dated 16 October appointing Justice Madan B. Lokur to monitor/prevent stubble burning in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab, in abeyance in view of the Centre’s proposal of an extensive legislation on the issue.