Delhi Air Pollution: Supreme Court Slams Delhi Govt, Says Don't Dilute Norms Without Informing Us
SC Pulls Up Delhi Govt, Says Environment Ministry Has 3 Options:
What is the issue?
The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the Delhi government for "diluting" air pollution norms, saying it had failed to respect the court's orders and had not consulted experts and stakeholders before making the changes. Read more about Supreme Court Slams Delhi Government in the Times of India.A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana said there was "something wrong" with the revised norms and expressed concern that they would "adversely affect" public health in the national capital.
The court was hearing a plea filed by environmentalist M.C. Mehta challenging the Delhi government's decision to relax air pollution norms for industries and other sources.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, told the court that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had revised the norms after considering the recommendations of an expert committee.
However, the CJI said the court was not satisfied with the explanation and asked the MoEFCC to file an affidavit explaining the reasons for revising the norms.
The court also directed the Delhi government to file an affidavit within two weeks explaining why it had not consulted experts and stakeholders before revising the norms.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for January 20, 2023.
What are the revised norms?
The Delhi government had revised the air pollution norms in November 2022, relaxing the emission standards for industries and other sources.The new norms allow industries to emit more particulate matter (PM) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) than the previous norms.
The government had argued that the new norms were necessary to promote economic growth and development.
However, environmentalists and experts have criticized the new norms, saying they will worsen air quality in Delhi.
What are the concerns about the revised norms?
Environmentalists and experts have raised several concerns about the revised air pollution norms, including:They will worsen air quality in Delhi, which is already one of the most polluted cities in the world.
They will increase the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases among Delhi residents.
They will undermine India's commitments to the Paris Agreement on climate change.
What should be done?
The Supreme Court has directed the MoEFCC to reconsider the revised air pollution norms and withdraw or modify them if necessary.The court has also directed the Delhi government to consult experts and stakeholders before making any further changes to the norms.
Environmentalists and experts have called for the revised norms to be scrapped and for the government to focus on implementing measures to reduce air pollution.
