New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday strongly criticised the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), observing that the central pollution watchdog was failing in its duty by seeking a two-month adjournment on the issue of temporary closure or relocation of toll plazas at Delhi’s borders to ease traffic congestion and pollution.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed the CAQM to convene a meeting of experts within two weeks and submit a detailed report identifying the major causes behind the worsening air pollution in the National Capital Region.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the commission’s approach, the court said a large volume of material on pollution sources was already available in the public domain, with experts, researchers and citizens continuously flagging concerns. The Bench underlined that heavy vehicles were a significant contributor to pollution and questioned the absence of concrete measures to address the issue.
The court took exception to CAQM’s request for more time, noting that merely holding a meeting on January 2 and seeking two additional months to respond was unacceptable. The Bench remarked that such delays reflected a failure on the part of the statutory body entrusted with protecting air quality.
The Supreme Court directed CAQM to begin examining long-term solutions in a phased manner and specifically asked it to look into the toll plaza issue independently, without being influenced by the positions taken by various stakeholders.
The matter will be reviewed after the commission submits its report, as the court continues to monitor steps aimed at curbing air pollution in and around the national capital.
