The National Green Tribunal on Friday widened the ambit of the ongoing case on 'air pollution in Delhi' to include all states and Union Territories in the country. On a petition brought in by a doctor based in Agra, Sanjay Kulshreshtha, which prays that pollution is causing children to be born with congenital defects, the court directed chief secretaries of all states and UTs to submit a report on their "air quality and what steps they are taking to control pollution."
The busiest cities of the country found a mention. Karnataka will need to submit a report with regard to Capital city Bangalore, Andhra Pradesh with regard to Hyderabad, Haryana with regard to Faridabad and Punjab for Amritsar.
The World Health Organisation Urban Air Quality database of 2014 found 13 of the world's 20 most polluted cities in India. It had monitored 1,600 cities across 91 countries. Delhi topped the list prompting a series of media reports, action by the union government such as to launch a National Air Quality Index, and stringent court directions.
The 'pollution capital' of the country, Delhi, also came under the court scanner with orders to take ambient air quality samples at thermal power stations. The bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, directed Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and a representative from the Environment Ministry to inspect the Indraprastha, Badarpur and Raj Ghat thermal power projects.
Let the samples of ambient air quality be taken and the analysis report be placed before the tribunal in one week. If the emission is found to be in excess then on the basis of the report, they would recommend steps to ensure that no pollution is caused, the bench said.
Parking on metalled roads, which is cited as a major cause of traffic jams and resultant avoidable pollution, also came into focus. Lajpat Nagar and Karol Bagh have been taken up as pilot projects by the court to clean Delhi's air.
