Delhi Pollution: Supreme Court Pulls Up AAP Government Over Rising Air Pollution

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the Delhi government over the worsening air pollution in the national capital and asked it to take immediate steps to control it.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, expressed dissatisfaction with the steps taken by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to curb air pollution and said that the situation was "very serious".

The court also asked the Delhi government to consider imposing a temporary ban on construction activities and diesel-run vehicles in the city.

Background:

Delhi has been grappling with severe air pollution for the past few weeks, with the air quality index (AQI) consistently remaining in the "severe" category.

The main sources of air pollution in Delhi include vehicular emissions, construction activities, industrial pollution, and stubble burning in neighboring states.

Government Response:

The Delhi government has taken several steps to control air pollution, including the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which imposes restrictions on various activities based on the severity of air pollution.

However, the court observed that these measures have not been sufficient to bring down the air pollution levels in the city.

Supreme Court's Observations:

The Supreme Court criticized the Delhi government for not taking adequate steps to control air pollution and said that the situation was "unacceptable".

The court also expressed concern over the health hazards posed by air pollution and said that it was the government's responsibility to protect the health of its citizens.

Next Steps:

The Supreme Court has asked the Delhi government to submit a detailed plan of action to the court within two weeks on the steps it intends to take to control air pollution.

The court will hear the matter again on November 24.