The Delhi High Court today gave directions and suggestions like on the spot challaning and using of helicopters, with regard to managing the "chaotic" traffic condition in the city, alleviate problems of mobility faced by the public and reduce air pollution here.
One of the directions given by a bench of justices BadarDurrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva was to the traffic police which was directed to publicise the increase in fine, to Rs 1000, for driving on the wrong carriageway or wrong side of the road as well as to carry out on-the-spot challaning for such violations.
The bench also directed the police to be more vigilant, instead of continuing to hide behind trees.
The court also sought the Delhi government and Centre's response on whether helicopters can be inducted to not only manage the traffic but to also airlift those in medical emergencies to the nearest hospital.
It directed the traffic police to prepare a presentation, to be placed before the court, indicating how the traffic situation was being monitored from the control room.
It said this would help the court in understanding what steps are being taken by the traffic police to alleviate the misery of the public and manage traffic.
Traffic police, meanwhile, told the court that in the last two months it has issued challans to over 41,000 vehicles which were found travelling on wrong carriageway and that it has publicised the increase in fine for the violation by putting up signboards at various locations in the city.
On the issue of conservation of forests, the Delhi government today placed before the court a study carried out by Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) which has said that old forests and trees need to be protected to curb global warming as these trees store a lot of carbon in their roots.
After perusing the study, the bench said that the
government's submission on an earlier date that old trees release more carbon dioxide than oxygen was not entirely correct and old trees and forests need to be protected to curb global warming.
The bench directed the Delhi government to file an affidavit indicating steps being taken by it to protect trees as well as on the procedure being followed prior to giving permission to online applications for felling trees.
The court said the affidavits be filed before the next date of hearing on April 7.
The government, meanwhile, said it would be filing an affidavit indicating steps taken for conservation and demarcation of forests as per a pert chart prepared by it.
The court was hearing a PIL initiated by it on its own on the issue of air pollution in the national capital.
