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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  SC asks for consensus among stakeholders to tackle air pollution
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SC asks for consensus among stakeholders to tackle air pollution

Amicus curiae Harish Salve tells SC that there is a crisis situation at present, with particulate matter 2.5 levels having doubled in the last year

Amicus curiae (friend of court) Harish Salve too had moved the court to introduce a pollution cess on trucks passing through the city instead of using alternate routes. Photo: MintPremium
Amicus curiae (friend of court) Harish Salve too had moved the court to introduce a pollution cess on trucks passing through the city instead of using alternate routes. Photo: Mint

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday called for a consensus among stakeholders for a minimum acceptable plan to tackle air pollution. The court was hearing a bunch of applications on reducing air pollution in Delhi.

Amicus curiae (friend of court) Harish Salve too had moved the court to introduce a pollution cess on trucks passing through the city instead of using alternate routes.

A bench comprising chief justice T.S. Thakur and R. Banumathi said the absence of a definite policy on the issue reflected the inability to cope with the situation. “This is a serious matter. We are getting a bad name around the world. If there’s a consensus, we can take care if there are obstructions," Thakur said.

The apex court on 9 October had directed imposition of environment compensation charge (ECC) on trucks. The court also asked the Delhi government to be prepared with an alternative plan, if the present toll collector, SMYR Consortium, chose to step away from its contract. SMYR Consortium had moved the court saying that the job to collect ECC was beyond what it had agreed to in the tender.

Salve told the court that there was a crisis situation at present, with particulate matter 2.5 levels having doubled in the last year. He said that PM 2.5 directly affected the lungs. “We can deal with the economic consequences later," he said, while asking to disincentivise buying diesel cars, or regulating registration of these vehicles.

As an immediate measure, he suggested absolute bar on entry of trucks, except those carrying essential commodities, in Delhi for next six weeks to bring down the pollution level. He also said there were other mid-term and long-term plans required to curb air pollution.

The court will hear these submissions on 15 December.

Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, representing the municipal corporation of Delhi, said the government was considering solutions on the lines of Salve’s suggestions.

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Published: 10 Dec 2015, 07:22 PM IST
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