The Supreme Court is to continue the air pollution hearing case today in New Delhi, asking the Center to inform it of its decisions.
The Supreme Court asked the Central Government on Saturday to inform it by Monday of the decisions had taken and will take to address the current emergency situation caused by air pollution.
The Supreme Court’s three-judge bench, headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana and also involving Justices Dr Dhananjaya Yashwant Chandrachud and Surya Kant, had directed the Central Government to take immediate measures to address the situation after discussing with the concerned state governments.
Noting the grave condition of the critical air pollution in Delhi, the National Capital Region, the Supreme Court had on November 13, Saturday, said that urgent measures needed to be taken immediately, after the Solicitor General (SG), Tushar Mehta, senior law officer appearing for the Central government, informing the Supreme Court that the ambient air condition may turn to emergency levels.
On the last date of hearing, on Saturday, the CJI led bench of the Supreme Court, had observed that “We have been forced to wear masks at home also and the situation is very serious.” The Top Court had in its last hearing also asked the Centre to inform it by today the decisions it had and will take to address the emergency situation caused by air pollution.
The air quality in Delhi, the capital territory of India, according to a WHO survey of 1,650 world cities, is the worst of any major city in the world. It also affects the districts around Delhi. Air pollution in India is estimated to kill about 2 million people every year; it is the fifth-largest killer in India.