दिल्ली वायु प्रदूषण: एनजीटी ने पुलिस प्रमुख और यातायात पुलिस आयुक्त को नोटिस जारी किया।

Delhi Air Pollution: NGT Issues Notice to Chief of Police and Traffic Police Commissioner.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has called on the Delhi Police chief and the special commissioner for traffic management to provide details on actions taken to address vehicle-related air pollution and parking issues. The tribunal emphasized the need for a clear protocol to implement the various stages of the anti-pollution Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), as it examined the air quality challenges in the National Capital Region (NCR) that have led to the need for GRAP activation.

NGT chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted in an order dated October 24 that with winter's arrival, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 364 on October 23, categorizing it as very poor. This indicates a failure by authorities to prevent the decline in air quality in the NCR.

The bench, which includes judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A. Senthil Vel, referred to an October 23 report from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). This report stated that Stage I of GRAP was activated when the average AQI remained above 200 for a prolonged period.

Expressing concern, the tribunal stated, “There is no information on how long it typically takes to invoke Stage I, nor what constitutes a sufficiently long duration.” They insisted that objective criteria and a transparent process should govern the activation of GRAP stages.

The NGT highlighted vehicular pollution as a key factor in air quality degradation, noting that traffic management, parking enforcement, and the regulation of unauthorized and old vehicles fall under police jurisdiction. Consequently, the tribunal added the police commissioner and the special commissioner for traffic management as respondents in the case.

The tribunal instructed that notices be sent to these new respondents to submit affidavits detailing actions taken to address pollution stemming from vehicle movement and parking issues.

It also mandated that field staff and teams from the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) be enhanced and supervised by qualified officers to ensure their effectiveness.

Furthermore, the tribunal directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Delhi government, and the MCD to promote their mobile apps for tracking pollution levels. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) submitted a reply regarding existing and proposed ambient air quality monitoring stations in the NCR, stating there are no plans for new stations in Delhi.

Finally, the tribunal ordered the CAQM to outline measures taken between January and September 2024 to prevent further air quality deterioration during winter. The next hearing is set for November 5.

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