Ready to impose lockdown to curb air pollution: Delhi government to Supreme Court

The Delhi government on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it was ready to take steps such as a "complete lockdown" to control air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR).

. It stated that such a decision would only be meaningful if it was implemented across the NCR and neighbouring states.

. In its affidavit, the Delhi government also stated that given Delhi’s compact size, a lockdown would have a limited impact on the air quality.

“ This issue would need to be addressed at the level of air shed involving NCR areas. In view of the above we are ready to consider this step if the same is mandated for the entire NCR areas bye the government of India or by the commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and adjoining areas ,” the 27-page affidavit pointed out.

. The Delhi government also stated that over the past several years, it had observed that the Air Quality Index hadn’t gone into the severe category from February till September this year. October 2021 was said to be the cleanest month in the last six years, with only 675 stubble burning incidents being witnessed in Punjab and Haryana.

“ At the same time, November 2021 saw 7 severe days in the first 13 days of the month and corresponded with an increased number of stubble burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana averaging around 4,300 incidents per day ,” it highlighted.

. The government said that it had taken to a comprehensive action plan for eliminating stubble burning in the NCT of Delhi. The daily action taken reports on prevention and control of stubble burning were being sent to Commission for Air Quality Management, the affidavit stated.

. It was also averred that though stubble burning was very insignificant in Delhi, efforts were taken consistently to address the issue of the agricultural residue in the fields in the national capital.

. On the issue of agri-waste, the affidavit stated,

“ The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and chief secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi interacted on December 24, 2019, to draw an action plan for mitigation of air pollution particularly in Delhi and other large cities of the Indo-Gangetic plains and stressed the need the need for incentivising the farmers for change in crop production as well as removal of stubble and the need to explore viable economic models for agri-waste and its utilisation so that farmers are compelled to sell his stubble instead of burning it .”

. The Delhi government also listed its “Winter Action Plan” for 2021-2022 whereby the data analysis in the air during the last 5 years was carried out to categorise. According to the plan, the focus is on road dust management, dust control at building construction sites, vehicular pollution, etc. - required to be undertaken by the government departments and daily action reports were mandated to be submitted to the Department of Environment.

Some of its measure where it tried to limit the various catalysing factors, the government claimed to have set up over 250 teams for day and night patrolling that monitors burning of garbage in colonies and dumping sites.

On sale of firecrackers, it assured,

“ To prevent high amounts of particulate matter and other pollutants being related in the atmosphere in a short span of time, Delhi government banned the use along with sale and purchase of firecrackers till January 1, 2022 .”

Going by the affidavit, the government is mulling over setting up “India’s first e-waste park” spread across 20 acres to prevent pollution from e-waste.

Over vehicular pollution in the city, the government is said to be checking over 6,000 vehicles for pollution under control certificates on a daily basis. “ One-hundred-and-eighty-three (183) enforcement teams have been deployed for checking of vehicles, and 60,447 have been issued during October 2021 till November 13, 2021 ,” it stated.

The government also informed the Supreme Court that all education institutions including coaching and training institutes shall remain closed till November 20, 2021.

. During today's hearing, Justice Surya Kant remarked that the Delhi government affidavit was “ all about bashing farmers and how the entire cause is stubble burning. ”

Justice DY Chandrachud also remarked that stubble burning contributed only an insignificant amount to pollution in the NCR.

. [Read Affidavit]

Ready to impose lockdown to curb air pollution: Delhi government to Supreme Court

Debayan Roy

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