SC to hear pollution cases related to Delhi, other cities today
The Supreme Court will expand its focus on air pollution to other cities in India during a hearing scheduled for Thursday.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Thursday hit out at the AAP government over air pollution in the national capital, saying the city can do little to stop crop residue smoke from other states.
In a post on X, Saxena said, “We can do little to stop crop residue smoke from other States, apart from pleading with them. Despite States, especially Punjab playing truant, we are, but petitioners for mercy. AQI yet hovers around 400, making the Capital gasp.”
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“Publicity around props like smog towers mean little & politics of propaganda that involve over hyped events like “Red Light On, Gaadi Off” and “Odd- Even” cannot hold the life of people of Delhi to ransom,” he said.
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Nothing concrete after the implementation of CNG in Delhi and construction of a maze of flyovers since then, has been attempted, Saxena alleged.
“Delhi needs action, not mere posturing. We can achieve sustainable goals within a fixed timeline. Let’s do it. Politics can wait,’ he said.
Noting that firecrackers certainly add to the menace, he said the most affected in this “gas chamber” are those who commute on roads to earn their daily bread.
“Crackers certainly add to the menace. The most affected in this gas chamber are those who commute on roads to earn their daily bread. The poor and the hapless living in slums and unauthorized colonies whose lungs are frying because they can’t afford to sit at home and buy air purifiers,” Saxena said.
“The real solution to pollution in Delhi lies in Delhi itself,” the LG said.
He further said, “We can mitigate the choking smog by reducing the dust that our unrepaired roads, unpaved pavements and construction sites cause.”
“We can employ effective means to curb our vehicular emissions,” he said.
“Blaming others cannot and should not be an alibi for gross inaction over years. Since the deadly smog in 2016, this has become a recurrent issue subjected to nothing but platitude and rhetoric,” he said.
The pollution control measures under stage four of the GRAP are currently underway in the national capital.
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