SC pulls up Modi Govt. on pollution: Are you waiting for people to die?

November,10,2016:Supreme Court saw that the Centre and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) today failed to place a comprehensive plan to tackle Delhi's pollution crisis.

ApexCourt rapped them up for their apparent "sluggish" and "ad-hoc" approach towards the problem of Air Pollution.

A SC bench of CJI TS Thakur and Justices AK Sikri and SA Bobde questioned the Centre Govt. and the CPC Board as to how they intended to contain the crisis of pollution in the national capital of Delhi.

Tey both could not put forth any long term policy or solution to tackle the problem.

On November 8, the Bench had granted two days time to Centre to file a comprehensive plan.

Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar apprised the bench that it was the fault of the implementing agencies and bodies which were clearly lax in enforcing the prevailing policy to curb pollution.

The CPCB chairman SP Parihar was quizzed by the court on as to how the Board monitored the pollution levels and what steps are being undertook to control the pollution once it crossed moderate level.

SC was told that that there are only three machines in Delhi to measure the level of pollution.

It was conceeded that the current arrangement is not effective to measure and control pollution.

Bench asked the Board to set up more such machines in different parts of the city and also suggested to set up a state of the art centralised control room to keep a close watch on level of pollution in NCt of Delhi.

SC lamented,"Do you want to wait till people start dying in Delhi? You are very sluggish in responding to the problem.

It seems that you are not even conscious of the need to set up more machines to get a clear picture on pollution levels at different places in the NCt," the bench said.

The Apex court directed the Board to to workout out a plan after holding consultation with all stake holders including environmentalist and brief the court about the plan on November 25.