On Thursday for Air Pollution Control in Delhi-NCR, the Union Environment Ministry has published, “The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region & Adjoining Area Ordinance".

The commission has an objective of implementing a consolidated approach to monitoring, tackling & eliminating causes of air pollution in Delhi-NCR by coordinating with State Govts.

The commission will be a statutory authority that will replace the 22-year-old Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) which has introduced several important interventions to control pollution. Among their most significant intervention was converting all public transport in Delhi to compressed natural gas (CNG) in 1998, phasing out polluting fuels like pet coke & furnace oil from industries & imposing pollution charge on old polluting trucks.

The commission will have appropriate powers which can act against air pollution on a war footing & will coordinate with the NCR States Govts & Central Govt. It will have the power to issue directions to various statutory authorities established under various laws. The ordinance says that based on Court orders, various ad hoc committees like the EPCA were formed to assist courts in implementation of its orders but the new commission may subsume them.

The ordinance says that due to absence of an inter-sectoral, public participative, multi-state body, the Supreme Court has had to devote “its precious time in constituting various ad hoc & permanent committees at various stages,” & it has been supervising & guiding the air pollution problem in NCR through the MC Mehta Vs Union of India case.

However, the new commission will function completely under the aegis & supervision of the Central Govt. It will have members from all NCR states & the Central Pollution Control Board; from associated ministries like petroleum & natural gas, agriculture, commerce etc. The commission will have powers to take decisions & act against pollution sources under various environmental laws, like the Environment Protection Act & Air Act.

A senior environment ministry official confirmed that the ordinance will be submitted to Apex Court today but didn’t comment further on setting up the commission. 

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