TV debates causing more pollution-SC on Delhi AQI

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that the executive in the country is suffering from a “policy paralysis” and “inertia”, waiting for the top court to step in for bringing down the rising levels of air pollution in Delhi-NCR. Chief Justice NV Ramana said that debates on TV are causing more pollution than any other sources. Everyone has their own agenda there. We are trying to work out a solution here(Court)." he commented. The bench, which also comprised justices Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant, added: “This is an unfortunate situation to which the bureaucracy has come down to. They say ‘we won’t do anything. Let the court pass directions and we will simply put signatures saying the court has directed it’... This is the attitude developed by the executive.”

“Every year in October-November, when Delhi is choked, the Supreme Court is forced to take up the issue. What is the government doing? Centre is here, state is here,” said Justice Surya Kant adding, “The house is on fire.” The court’s comments came as the SG urged the bench not to issue “harsher directives”, such as making it mandatory even for the central government employees to work from home or imposing a complete lockdown in Delhi and the adjoining areas in the national capital region (NCR). “These are activities that take place throughout the year. There are already norms in place but there is no implementation. Nobody wants to do it. There is a lack of will,” rued the bench, while adjourning the case to Wednesday next week.

Justice Surya Kant again underlined. "Irrespective of figures in affidavits, we have to consider the plight of the farmers...what compels him to burn the stubble? Nobody is concerned about that. People sleeping in five-star hotels in Delhi blame farmers. Look at such small landholdings. Can they afford the machines you all talk about?"  The Supreme Court's sharp comments were in response to the back and forth between the Delhi government and the centre over the stubble burning data. On Monday, the central government had told the court that farm fires have only 10 per cent share in the national capital's severe pollution.