New Delhi (ILNS): While Solicitor General Tushar Mehta today informed the Supreme Court that a relevant ordinance has been passed regarding air pollution (reported elsewhere in India Legal), the top court bench, headed by Chief Justice S. A. Bobde said that it has to first have a look at the ordinance before passing any order as to what steps are to be taken under the ordinance.
The SG added that the government will soon come up with a legislation.
The three-judge bench of the Chief Justice S. A. Bobde and Justices A. S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian is hearing a petition filed by a class 12 student Aditya Dubey, seeking direction to the Punjab and Haryana governments to ban stubble burning.
The Court, in its previous hearing, had put its last order of October 16, 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.
CJI Bobde said on a lighter note if anybody falls sick because of the air pollution then the SG will be held liable. To this SG Mehta said: “Whatever comes from your lordship is a mandamus.”
The Chief Justice further added that some experts have told the bench informally that the cause of air pollution is not only stubble burning. Further, speaking on a lighter note he suggested the use of bicycles and to put the “beautiful cars” at home
The matter has been listed for further hearing on next Friday.