Concerned over poor air quality in the national Capital, the Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Centre, the AAP Government and other authorities to submit plans to bring the pollution levels within the prescribed limits. The court also told the AAP Government to bring to its notice any official who was not complying with court orders on the issue of air pollution and said it will "take care of it". The court was hearing a PIl initiated by it on the issue of air pollution.
Irked by lack of action plans from the Governments and most of the authortities, a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva asked each department/authority before it to nominate an officer who would ensure compliance of the court's directions.
The court noted that the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), represented by advocate Sanjeev Ralli, was the only body which had filed an action plan as well as pollution data which indicated that during three periods of time -- October to November, December to January and May to June -- the air pollution in the Capital peaked to very high levels.
In October-November, it was due to burning of biomass and crops by the neighbouring States, in December-January it was on account of temperature inversions and in May-June due to dust storms emanating in Rajasthan, DPCC told the court.
The data also indicated that apart from these three periods, the "background pollution" levels during remainder of the year were also beyond prescribed norms.
"This clearly indicates that apart from the peak levels, background pollution levels are way out of prescribed norms. The reasons for this may be many, including dust pollution from construction activities, vehicular pollution and industrial pollution.
"Therefore, action is required to pull down the peak levels and bring the background pollution within prescribed limits," the bench said.
It went on to pull up the central government for not submitting any regional or sub-regional plan to curb air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR) as directed by the court.
When Delhi government senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra said it cannot take action against the bureaucrats as such a step would be declared null and void by the Centre, the bench said, "Every official sitting on every chair will have to do their job."
"If a particular officer is not functioning or complying with our directions, bring it to our notice and we will take care of it," the bench further said.
Mehra submitted that the official earlier appointed to assist the court on the has gone on a two month leave and no one else was willing to take his place.
"What do you mean not willingIJ If an officer does not listen, throw them out," the bench said and added that if an official is not going to work, "let him resign".
Thereafter, the government told the court that SS Gill, special secretary of department of urban development, would take up the job that was earlier being done by the official who had gone on leave.
It directed the Delhi government, its concerned departments and other concerned authorities to nominate officials who would ensure that its orders are complied with.