NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal has hit out at the Delhi government for failing to take steps to implement the measures the tribunal had set out to improve the capital's poor air quality.
The tribunal also directed the Arvind Kejriwal government to submit a report on the proposal to ban diesel vehicles, which are more than 10 years old, and the exact number of diesel vehicles plying in the capital and their impact on air quality by April 7. "The scientific data indicates the problem is severe and its result can be drastic if permitted to persist," NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar said.
"The response of authorities is lacking will, bona fide and shifting of responsibilities from one department to another and finding faults with different departments has been the defence before us," it said. The bench said it was "pained" to note that the administration had not taken note of its repeated persuasive and mandatory order.
The green tribunal said that the presence of pollutants in ambient air is a matter of serious concern. Human health, it said, is right to life and must take precedence over commercial and infrastructural projects. "Principle of intergenerational equity demands that all institutions, including legislature executive, must make all possible endeavours to ensure proper air quality."
As ordered by the court, the Delhi Transport Corporation informed the bench that a team comprising of Central Pollution Control Board and Delhi Pollution Control Committee had inspected 15 old and 12 new lowfloor buses of DTC that are plying on the roads of Delhi. Out of these, six old vehicles were found to be non-compliant to the prescribed standards.
The tribunal also rapped street vendors for encroaching space in Lajpat Nagar market. Justice Swatanter Kumar said that although the Supreme Court has allowed the right of the hawkers, they cannot be allowed to encroach roads in an unscrupulous manner.
"Supreme Court order says that authorities were directed to carry out identification of sites for their (hawkers) shifting and not allow them to stand on metalled roads. There is something called Constitution and environment as well. Nobody is opposed to rickshawalas and street hawkers but there has to be a balance. If corporate social responsibility requires companies and firms to spend millions, then the hawkers also have to contribute in one or the other way. Article 19 is subject to restrictions. If you will jump down on roads, we will throw you out," the bench said.
