NGT issues notice to Centre on persistent air pollution crisis in Delhi

The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from the Centre on the "persistent air pollution crisis" in the national capital.

The NGT was hearing the matter where it had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of a media report based on a study about the reasons for air pollution being emissions from thermal plants and the prevailing weather conditions.

In an order passed on November 27, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said, "As per the article, a recent study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has revealed that thermal power plants in the region are responsible for emitting 16 times more air pollution than the pollution caused by stubble burning."  The bench also comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel said that at present, Delhi was facing a "persistent air pollution crisis, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) (recently) reaching an alarming 488, falling under the severe plus category."  It noted that the report, which estimated that coal-fired thermal power plants in the NCR released 281 kilotons of sulfur dioxide (SO2) annually, and that, in comparison, crop burning, often cited as a major source of pollution, emitted 17.8 kilotons of SO2 from the burning of around 8.9 million tons of stubble.

The green body also said that as per the article, weather conditions in Delhi were exacerbating the pollution crisis and calm winds and dropping temperatures, also known as cold air traps, had hindered the dispersal of pollutants by trapping dust, smoke, and other harmful particles in the air.

"The matter indicates a violation of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and the Environment Protection Act. The news item raises substantial issues relating to compliance with the environmental norms," the tribunal said.

It impleaded as parties or respondents the secretary of the Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change and the member secretaries of the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and the state pollution control boards of Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

The director of the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region (CAQM) was also included as a respondent.

"Issue notice to the respondents for filing their response/reply by way of affidavit at least one week before the next date of hearing (on March 19)," the tribunal said.