Air Pollution: SC asks air quality management panel to consider lifting restrictions

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The Supreme Court on December 10 directed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to consider a request from various industries for easing the restrictions imposed on industrial activities in Delhi and neighbouring areas.

Expressing satisfaction over the improvement in the quality of air in the National Capital Region, an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said that the CAQM was at liberty to decide on the restrictions and hoped that an appropriate decision would be taken within a week.

The hearing was rather short on Friday primarily for the purpose of taking stock of the situation by the Supreme Court, which had stated earlier that it would continue to monitor the situation.

After granting the commission all responsibility to consider the various requests by different industries, the court directed Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to comply with its earlier order regarding the payment of minimum wages to the workers rendered without any source of income after construction and industrial activities were banned across states adjoining Delhi.

The court order came after the counsel representing an association of such workers informed that the wages were still left unpaid by these two states. The court has also asked the concerned states to file a compliance report.

The bench, also comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant and hearing the matter concerning toxic air in the NCR, had pulled up the Centre and the state governments for not taking pre-emptive steps to prevent air pollution and, instead, resort to ad-hoc measures.

Earlier this month, the court expressed satisfaction with the steps proposed by the governments.