Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana worsening air quality in Delhi-NCR, Supreme Court told
PTC News Desk: As AQI in Delhi-NCR breached 400 mark and subsequent implementation of GRAP-3 measures, the Supreme Court was informed that stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana has led to further worsening of air quality.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai was informed that stubble-burning has begun with impunity in Punjab and Haryana.
Senior advocate Aprajita Singh, who is assisting the top court as amicus curiae has urged the bench to seek responses from Punjab and Haryana governments.
Singh referred to NASA satellite images to buttress her point that stubble burning in these two states has commenced and it is contributing to already severe air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR. “The apex court orders are being flouted with impunity,” she said, adding that these states should respond to the present situation. “We will pass some orders on Wednesday,” the CJI said.
The top court on November 3 directed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to submit an affidavit detailing the steps taken so far to mitigate rising air pollution across national capital.
Amicus curiae Singh had flagged media reports indicating that several air quality monitoring stations in Delhi were not functioning during the Diwali period.
“There are newspapers after newspapers saying that monitoring stations are non-functional. If the monitoring stations are not even functioning, we don’t even know when to implement GRAP (graded response action plan)... Out of 37 monitoring stations, only nine were functioning continuously on the day of Diwali,” she said.
As she said the top court’s orders were being flouted with impunity, the CJI said, "We will pass some orders on Wednesday.”
- PTC NEWS
