SC to hear plea over Capital’s toxic air

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to urgently list on November 18 a plea seeking enforcement of measures to check pollution in the national capital.

Senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who is assisting the top court in the air pollution case as amicus curiae, told a Bench led by Justice Abhay S Oka that the AQI in Delhi had worsened and that she had sent a notice to the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM).

“Let the CAQM come and explain (to the top court),” Singh told the Bench, which included Justice Augustine George Masih.

“Since yesterday, the AQI has been in the ‘severe’ category. Just to avoid this situation, this court had permitted them (the Delhi Government and CAQM) to take pre-emptive action. They have not yet taken any measures… Nothing has been done. Why do we want to become the most polluted city in the world before we take action?” Singh wondered. The Bench agreed to take up the matter on Monday.

According to the CPCB, 24-hour average bulletin released at 4 PM on Thursday, Delhi’s AQI was recorded at 424, falling in the “severe” category. It was 418 on Wednesday. Among other NCR cities, Faridabad recorded the AQI of 270 (poor), Gurugram 318 (very poor) Ghaziabad 356 (very poor), Noida 347 (very poor) and Greater Noida 264 (poor).