Judiciary acted tough on alarming air pollution in 2015

Judiciary acted tough on alarming air pollution in 2015

NEW DELHI: The alarming level of Delhi's air pollution created panic among the people during 2015 prompting the judiciary to act tough to give citizens the right to live in a healthy environment. 

The judiciary, be it the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court, which once described that residing in the national capital was akin to "living in a gas chamber", or the National Green Tribunal (NGT), dealt with these issues with an iron hand and passed a slew of stern directions.

Giving a strong message that judiciary would leave no stone unturned to curb the problem, the apex court on December 16 banned the registration of new diesel-run SUVs, high-end private cars with engine capacity of 2000CC and above in Delhi NCR till March 31, 2016.

The Supreme Court said that a ban on registration of such high-end vehicles will not affect the common man in Delhi as these SUVs are generally used by more affluent sections of the society.

The ban on registration of new diesel-run vehicles was the brainchild of NGT which had observed that the situation was so alarming that people have been even advised to leave Delhi due to adverse effects on health.



The pollution issue hogged the limelight during the year and the high court too joined the chorus when it said air pollution is of an "emergency nature" and this situation would not have arisen had the authorities implemented laws and rules to prevent environmental degradation.

The hard-hitting observations and concern shown by the judiciary in the year made Delhi government propose an innovative odd-even number vehicles policy for commuting in the capital to curb the rising pollution index due to vehicular emissions.

The AAP government's odd-even numbers scheme came a day after the high court remarked that the current air pollution levels in the national capital have reached "alarming" level.

The scheme, which allows plying of private vehicles on alternate days from January 1, 2016, was virtually endorsed by Chief Justice of India T S Thakur who said it can be followed "if it helps in reducing" the problem.

Although this scheme came under the NGT's scanner, the AAP government had the last laugh after the high court refused to give an interim stay on the odd-even number plate formula.

The worsening air pollution was a much talked-about issue in the courts' corridors as during the hearing in one of these matters, then Chief Justice of India H L Dattu remarked, "My grandson wears mask due to pollution and looks like a Ninja."

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