The Supreme Court has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD), the Delhi Police (Traffic Department) and the States of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to file detailed responses on the regulation of vehicular emissions in the National Capital Region (NCR) before the next date of hearing.
In an order, a bench, comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, hearing a suo motu case examining the regulatory framework governing air pollution, noted that “Delhi and the NCR, by virtue of their geographical and economic interconnectedness, bear the cumulative burden of vehicular traffic originating not merely within their own boundaries but also from the neighbouring States of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.”
“The existing regulatory framework and enforcement mechanisms governing the entry and plying of commercial and non-commercial vehicles within Delhi and the NCR, particularly those originating from neighbouring States; (ii) The measures presently in place to identify, monitor and regulate vehicles that do not conform to the prescribed emission standards, including the enforcement of Pollution Under Control (PUC) certification requirements,” the bench said.
The bench directed the Government to spell out further short-term and long-term measures proposed or contemplated to mitigate vehicular emissions and reduce their contribution to the deteriorating air quality in Delhi and the National Capital Region.
“It must be borne in mind that Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), by virtue of their geographical and economic interconnectedness, bear the cumulative burden of vehicular traffic originating not merely within their own boundaries but also from the neighbouring States of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. The situation is further compounded by the substantial volume of both commercial and non-commercial vehicles entering and plying within the city from different parts of the region, thereby adding to the existing vehicular emission load,” the bench said.