New Delhi: Taking cognizance of the increasing pollution in Delhi-NCR, Supreme Court today directed the Centre and state governments to convene an emergency meeting tomorrow on issues like construction, non-essential transport, stopping power plants and implementing work from home for employees to curb air pollution in the National Capital Region.
Meanwhile, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday urged the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana government to impose a lockdown in the National Capital Region (NCR) to curb air pollution and said a joint-action plan is needed in the matter.
Speaking to ANI, Rai said, "The Delhi government is taking all the possible steps to curb the air pollution in the national capital. We have also submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court that we are ready for a lockdown. All the steps taken by the Delhi government will be effective only if Haryana and Uttar Pradesh government will impose lockdown in the NCR regions."
"We are ready to take all measures with Centre and states. We will follow whatever SC directs. A joint-action plan is needed," he said.
The court denied considering stubble burning as a major reason for increased pollution in Delhi and said all “hue and cry" over stubble burning by farmers was without any scientific and factual basis. Referring to the Centre’s affidavit, the SC bench said 75 per cent of the air pollution is due to industry, dust and transport.
"In the last hearing (on Saturday), we mentioned stubble burning is not a major issue, city-related issues are there. So if you take steps on them, the situation will improve," the court said.
"In fact now the cat is out of the bag, the farmers' stubble burning contributes to only 4 per cent of the pollution as per the chart. So we are targeting something which is totally insignificant," the bench said.