New Delhi News : NGT unhappy with Delhi’s efforts to control pollution

 

NGT unhappy with Delhi’s efforts to control pollution

NGT unhappy with Delhi’s efforts to control pollution

NEW DELHI, NOV. 21

The pollution levels in Delhi and its suburbs increased further overn-ight with the air quality index (AQI) in the capital recorded at 372 on Tuesday .

Following this, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) expressed dissatis-faction with the action taken by authorities to control air pollution and directed them to “take all possible measures to ensure that the quality of air improves in Delhi.” The city’s AQI stood at 348 at 4.00 pm on Monday , deteriorating from 301 on Sunday . The 24-hour aver-age AQI, recorded at 4.00 pm every day , was 319 on Saturday , 405 on Friday , and 419 on Thursday .

The tribunal, while tak-ing suo motu (on its own) cognisance about a media report regarding the wors-ening air quality in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR), directed the filing of further action taken report within a week.

“It is difficult to accept the stand of different authorities that they are taking all possible meas-ures to control air pollu-tion and improve the qual-ity of air because the air quality index of Delhi does not indicate any sig-nificant improvement,” it said on Monday .

NGT has also deprecated the approach of the authorities concerned for not taking “consistent, adequate measures” to prevent the farm fire inci-dents in Punjab.

The tribunal also observed that even the Punjab chiefsecretary’s communication to imme-diately stop the incidents was “not fruitful.”

The NGT observed that considering the health of the citizens of the nation-al capital, the authorities concerned are expected to take the best possible measures to improve the air quality .

In the last hearing on November 9, it had sought a fresh action taken report from the authori-ties, including the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for NCR and adjoining areas.

The bench said that the MCD had filed a report stating the various meas-ures taken to reduce air pollution, such as mechanical road sweep-ers, sprinkling ofwater on roads, and prohibiting open burning.

“ As per the said report, asthmatic patients, elder-ly persons, and pregnant women are especially fac-ing complications and health risks,” the tribunal said.

“Considering this human health aspect the authorities are expected to take the best possible measure so that air quali-ty in the city improves.

Let the further action taken report be filed with-in one week,” it added