Air Pollution: Central Vista complies with pollution control norms, Centre tells SC

Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 1

Ahead of Thursday’s crucial hearing on worsening air pollution condition in Delhi-NCR, the Centre on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that all construction activities in the capital by the Central Public Works Department had been stopped following the court’s order, except Central Vista redevelopment -- a project of "national importance".

In an affidavit filed in the top court, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development said construction activities at Central Vista complied with the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules.

A Bench led by CJI NV Ramana—which re-imposed the ban on construction activities on November 24 in NCR due to worsening air quality—had on Monday asked the Centre to respond to the issue of dust pollution caused by ongoing construction of Central Vista after raised by senior advocate Vikas Singh – who represented petitioner Aditya Dubey.

 “Central Vista cannot be more important than the rising levels of air pollution. I can play videos, how dust is coming up from Central Vista. It cannot be more important than Supreme Court orders,” Singh had said even as Mehta termed it “trumpet-blowing.”

On Wednesday, the Centre’s affidavit asserted that “…so far as the Parliamentary Building and the Central Vista Avenue is concerned, it complies with Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules and each and every condition which is put to ensure that it does not cause any pollution”.

It said the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has taken all the measures as contemplated under the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules which included measure such as use of anti-smog gun, mist spray system, use of dust suppressant like magnesium chloride, use of conveyer belt to transfer construction material, keeping all construction material in wet condition etc.

The top court—which had ordered the governments of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to comply with the directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas, the Centre and the court—will take up their compliance reports on Thursday.

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