Delhi air pollution: Supreme Court pulls up Kejriwal govt, directs stubble burning ban
New Delhi:
The Supreme Court on Tuesday slammed the Delhi government over its handling of air pollution in the national capital and directed it to immediately ban stubble burning in the neighbouring states.
The court also asked the Centre and the Delhi government to file a status report on the steps taken to curb pollution within two weeks.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana expressed strong displeasure over the deteriorating air quality in Delhi and said the situation has become "horrible".
"The air quality in Delhi has become horrible... People are suffering," the bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant, said.
The court directed the Delhi government to immediately ban stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
The bench also asked the Centre and the Delhi government to file a status report on the steps taken to curb pollution within two weeks.
The court's order came on a petition filed by environmental activist Aditya Dubey seeking directions to the Centre and the Delhi government to take immediate steps to control air pollution in the national capital.
The petition alleged that the air quality in Delhi has reached alarming levels due to stubble burning in the neighbouring states and other factors.
The court had earlier directed the Centre and the Delhi government to take steps to control air pollution in the national capital.
However, the air quality in Delhi has continued to deteriorate in recent days, prompting the court to take a strong stand.
The court's order is likely to have a significant impact on the fight against air pollution in Delhi.
The ban on stubble burning is expected to reduce the amount of air pollution in the national capital.
The court's order is also likely to put pressure on the Centre and the Delhi government to take more effective steps to curb pollution.
