Pandemic has already been a serious threat to nations health, the air quality has been too an important concern for people’s life. The consequences for people having breathing issue are sometimes beyond the perception of people contributing. Globally in normal situations also tourism gets affected by such instances. The Supreme Court has been hearing on air quality and on Monday directed the Centre to respond to issues related to construction activities, including the Central Vista project, under its domain besides asking Delhi and NCR States to file their replies to show compliance of directions issued by the commission on air quality management to curb pollution.
Well known Senior advocate representing in the matter, Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner, argued that construction activities for big projects like the Central Vista are going on in full swing and such a project cannot be “more important than the lives of citizens”. At the outset, Advocate Singh said, “Larger projects are the main contributors to air pollution.
Observing that “intentions of the Commission for Air Quality Management in the NCR and Adjoining Areas are good and directions are given but the result is zero”. A special bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana said forthwith compliance of directions of the panel by the States was needed and rightly observed that punitive measures like imposing a fine of `1,000 or ordering one day jail to violators are not going to work. The bench, also comprising justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant.
The bench perused the affidavit of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change and referred to the long and short-term measures suggested by the commission on pollution and asked Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan to file affidavits by Wednesday evening about the compliance of the directions. The apex court also asked the Centre, Chairman of New Delhi Municipal Council, and others to file similar affidavits indicating the compliance of the directions given by the commission on pollution.
In the case of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Center has defended the continuation of construction work on the Central Vista Project. The Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the construction of the new Parliament building and the redevelopment of the Central Vista Avenue were being carried out in compliance with “each and every condition” of the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules “to ensure that it does not cause any pollution”.
In an affidavit filed in the apex court, the director of the Central Vista said that the government “has taken all the measures as contemplated under the C&D Waste Management Rules which inter alia includes measures like use of anti-smog gun… use of dust suppressant like magnesium chloride, use of conveyor belt to transfer construction material, keeping all construction material in wet condition etc.”. It added that apart from these, “all other construction activities being carried out by CPWD (Central Public Works Department)… in Delhi and NCR Region, as per CPWD Report, were stopped in compliance with” the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas.
Photo: Nagaland Page
