CAQM names major pollutants in Delhi-NCR, gives action plan to Supreme Court

The Commission for Air Quality Management Wednesday told SC that vehicular emission during winter and dust in summer majorly polluted ambient air in Delhi and NCR and gave a list of short and long-term countermeasures, including a mechanism to decongest traffic jams at MCD toll plazas.

A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi accepted the report and told all stakeholders, including central ministries and govts of Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan, as well as civic bodies and Metro corporation, to submit action plans in four weeks to implement the recommendations.

“There can be no doubt that these recommendations need to be given effect immediately,” said the bench, cautioning stakeholders against raising any objection to the recommendations, which additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati said were formulated by CAQM after extensive discussions with expert bodies including IITs, academia, research institutes and NGOs.CAQM said the issue required a whole-of-govt approach, ensuring that all ministries concerned, state govts, statutory authorities and other agencies functioned in a coordinated manner.