"You just want to sit in your ivory towers and rule": SC pulls up states on pollution in Delhi-NCR

Observing that toxic air is a question of life and death for crores of people in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court on Wednesday gave a tongue lashing to governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi for their failure to curb air pollution and told them they have no right to be in power if they don't bother about people.

"You just want to sit in your ivory towers and rule. You are not bothered and are letting the people die," thundered Justice Arun Mishra, as the court ordered the governments of Punjab, Haryana and UP to give an incentive of Rs 100 per quintal within 7 days to small and marginal farmers who have not burnt crop stubble. The burning of crop residue in the three states is stated to be responsible for 44 per cent of the air pollution in the Delhi-National Capital Region(NCR),
"We have to make government responsible for this," the bench said, and asked, "Why can't government machinery stop stubble burning?"
"Why you were not prepared for this (prevent stubble burning) in advance? What steps have you taken to prevent it? If state governments cannot do this, let them go. We do not bother. In case, you are not bothered about people, you have no right to be in power."
An anguished bench further said, "It is not for the court to run the government or teach you what you should do at the ground level. You have no idea, no road map to deal with it."
"We will not permit you to play with the lives of people," the bench told the chief secretary of Delhi, adding, "It is a shocking state of affairs that there are unpaved routes and pits in the national capital of the country."