No Construction Activity Until Further Order: NGT on Delhi Smog

The NGT issued directions to deal with the situation, including banning construction and industrial activities.

A girl begs for alms from a group of people wearing face masks to fight the pollution in New Delhi on 9 November.

(Photo: AP)

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday, 9 November, issued a slew of directions to deal with the situation, including banning construction and industrial activities and entry of trucks, while lambasting the Delhi government and civic bodies over the worsening air quality in Delhi and neighbouring states.

“No construction activity will be carried out on structures until further orders... all industrial activities in Delhi-NCR which are causing emissions will also not be allowed to carry on their functioning” till 14 November, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

An irked green panel also imposed a ban on the entry of diesel trucks more than ten years old and said that no vehicle from outside or within Delhi will be permitted to transport any construction material.

Further lashing out, the NGT said, “It is shameful for all the parties in this matter on what they're passing on to the next generation.”

Also Read: Apocalypse Now: Glimpses of Smog-Covered Delhi

The tribunal told the authorities that holding meetings, writing letters and shifting responsibility from one to the other for non-performance can hardly be made an excuse for meeting “such a bad environmental emergency”.

You (officials) go to the hospital and see what kind of trouble people are facing. You kept playing with people’s life. Right to life has been infringed with impunity by the authorities and other stakeholders who have been mere spectators to such crisis.

The NGT also directed the authorities and the civic bodies to sprinkle water where PM 10 is found to be in excess of 600 micrograms per cubic metre.

It further directed the authorities to implement EPCA's directions to improve ambient air quality while asking the civic bodies to constitute teams to ensure there is no burning of waste in Delhi-NCR.

Public authorities were also instructed to depute an officer to monitor the polluting activities.

The NGT further slammed the neighbouring states of Delhi and raised questions over their seriousness on the grievous situation.

All the constitutional authorities and statutory bodies measurably failed to perform their duties. So far pollution is the concern, it is a joint responsibility of all the stakeholders.

It said that according to Articles 21 and 48 of the Constitution, it is the responsibility of the governments to make sure that citizens get a clean and conducive environment.

Right to life is being snatched from people since they’re not getting a clean environment.

The next hearing has been scheduled for 14 November. The NGT has asked all concerned authorities and pollution control boards to file status report by then.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)