SC to hear on November 8 plea for monitoring of Delhi pollution

Supreme Court today agreed to hear on November 8 a fresh plea seeking proper monitoring of the pollution level in the national capital and adjoining areas.

A bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao said it wll hear the application of the apex court-appointed Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) at 3.30 PM tomorrow.

The EPCA, in its fresh plea, has said that it does not seek any fresh direction to curb the pollution level in the national capital and rather it seeks proper implementation of the directions already issued.

The apex court had on December 16, 2015 ordered not to register diesel-run sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and high-end private cars with engine capacity of 2000 CC and above in Delhi and National Capital Region along with a slew of measures to curb the alarming rise in pollution levels in the national capital.

The court had also directed 100 per cent hike of Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) being levied on light and heavy commercial vehicles entering Delhi.

It had also asked city government to "issue advertisements to inform commercial traffic of the bypass routes and the imposition of the ECC imposed by this court for entry of the vehicles into Delhi." Later on August 12 the apex court had vacated the embargo on registration of luxurious vehicles having engine capacity of 2000cc and above in Delhi and NCR, after taking on record, the affidavits of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and others, offering to deposit one per cent of the price of the vehicles as Environment Protection Charge (EPC) before the registration.