SC asks Centre to convene emergency meeting with NCR states on air pollution

New Delhi [India], November 15 : The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Central government to call for an "emergency meeting" on November 16 with Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh and sought an action plan to curb the air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant concluded that the major culprits of air pollution in the national capital are construction activities, industries, power plants, and vehicular transportation apart from stubble burning in some areas.
It said that the hue and cry over farmers stubble burning is without factual basis as according to Centre it contributed to less than 10 per cent of the air pollution in Delhi.
The Bench directed the Centre that its Committee, set up to look into air pollution issue, convene an emergency meeting with Chief Secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi and take into account issues suggested by it like stopping construction, non-essential transport, power plants and implement work from home to deal with air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
Posting the matter for hearing on November 17, the top court asked Haryana and Punjab governments to persuade the farmers to stop the stubble burning for a week.
"The commission under the Act has not indicated what steps will be taken to control the pollution-causing elements. This is not the way we expected an executive emergency meeting will be held. It's very unfortunate that we have to set an agenda for them. We direct the Centre to have an emergency meeting tomorrow and take into account points cited by us," the Bench said.
Please decide which industries can be stopped, which vehicles can be prevented from plying and which power plants can be stopped and how you can provide alternative power by then, it told the Solicitor General.
During the hearing, the Solicitor General told the apex court that stubble burning is not the major cause of pollution at present in Delhi and northern states as it contributes only 10 per cent of the pollution.
Dust is a major cause of pollution now and dust control measures are taken at the construction site, Mehta said.
The apex court asked the Centre about drastic steps which are scientifically proven and are taken to bring down pollution.
Mehta said three drastic steps are -- the introduction of odd-even vehicle scheme, ban of trucks entry in Delhi, and the severest will be lockdown.
The Bench, hearing the case relating to rising pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, asked Mehta, "Are you agreeing in principle that stubble burning is not the major cause and hue and cry has no scientific basis? Why not apply the ban on entry of all vehicles to and fro Delhi?"
As per Centre's affidavit, 75 per cent of the pollution according to scientific study is due to industries, heavy vehicular traffic and dust, thus it's not stubble burning and these three factors have to be reduced, observed the Bench.
It said if timely steps can be taken by the government, the pollution can be kept to manageable levels.
Perusing the Delhi government's affidavit, the top court observed that the affidavit is all about bashing farmers and how the entire cause is stubble burning.
The Bench slammed the Delhi government saying it's passing the buck to Municipal Commissioner. "This kind of lame excuses will force us to hold an audit of the revenue you are earning and spend on popularity slogans," it added
Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for the Delhi government, told the Bench that all construction activities are banned in the national capital.
He added that the Delhi government is ready to impose lockdown but since it doesn't have air boundaries central government can consider having it in the entire NCR and lockdown has to be imposed as a whole.