Find permanent solution to curb air pollution: Supreme Court to panel

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Commission for Air Quality Management to invite suggestions from the general public and experts on finding a permanent solution to pollution in Delhi and adjoining areas.

A bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices D Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant expressed satisfaction at steps taken by the commission to control pollution in the capital.

The court fixed the matter for further hearing in the first week of February.

In an affidavit, the Commission told the court that it has permitted the resumption of full-time operation of milk and dairy processing units, medicines, drugs and life-saving equipment industries.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, submitted before the bench that certain industries were permitted to function for eight hours, but some industries said their nature of industries would require continuous functioning and eight hours would not be sufficient.

These industries have been asked to operate continuously but for five days, and not for seven days.

Besides, the industries have been told to function on staggered manner, he said.

A call on construction activities will be taken on Friday while it has been permitted for hospitals, he said.

Mehta also pointed out experts, including scientists from prestigious organisations, have been examining long-term measures to combat the menace of air pollution, a recurring problem, in the national capital.

He said there is continuous inspection by the 40 flying squads. We have a committee for long term solution with NEERI experts etc to find a solution so that knee jerk reaction for every year is not needed, he said.

After noting that air quality was poor on Thursday, the court said the expert group constituted by the commission can look into the suggestions, made by the general public and experts to solve the problem.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for PIL petitioner Aditya Dubey, said instead of shutting down thermal plants, which leads to use of diesel generators, those should be relocated outside 300 km periphery of the city.

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