SC calls for multi-pronged policy to tackle Delhi pollution

The Supreme Court on Thursday said that the alarming problem of air pollution in Delhi could be tackled through a multi-pronged policy and ad hoc solutions would not be helpful.

"The absence of a policy (to tackle the growing air pollution) reflects on our ability to cope with this problem," said an apex court bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice R. Banumathi.

"You are earning a bad name. Delhi is the most polluted city in the world. Last week, a judge had come from the international court of justice and it was embarrassing for us to tell him that this is the level of pollution in Delhi," said Chief Justice Thakur.

While calling for a multi-pronged policy, the bench asked the municipal bodies in Delhi to be ready with an alternate arrangement to collect toll and environment compensation charge (ECC) as the existing contractor - SMYR Consortium Ltd. had expressed difficulties in discharging the additional responsibility of collecting ECC.

The court asked the government to provide a platform where all stakeholders including municipal bodies, the Delhi government, Central Pollution Control Board and others could come together for formulating short-term, medium-term and log-term policies to address the issue.

Asking all the parties to give their suggestions, the court directed further hearing of the matter on Tuesday.