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Informist, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024

 

NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court Monday has summoned the chief secretaries of Delhi-National Capital Region at a virtual conference on Thursday to explain their states' failure to pay subsistence allowance to construction workers, whose livelihoods have been impacted by the ban on construction activities amid high pollution. Hearing a case regarding rising air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, which comprises Delhi and districts surrounding it from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, the top court said that none of the states had pointed out that any construction worker was paid.

 

"We make it clear that unless substantial compliance with actual payment of amounts to the construction workers is reported, we will have to consider initiating action against the Contempt of Courts Act against erring officers," said the Bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih. 

 

Further, the top court said that before permitting relaxations on Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan in Delhi-NCR, it wants to ensure there was a downward trend in the air pollution levels. "As regards the suggestion for modification of applicability of GRAP(Graded Response Action Plan) IV, we will hear the parties on this aspect on Thursday at 1530 IST," said the court. However, the court allowed the Delhi government to carry out work on repairing sewage and those roads which were in dire condition. 

 

The court further said that "very shocking" things were revealed in all the four reports filed by the court-appointed commissioners who assessed the implementation of the Stage-IV measures. "We find that there is complete lack of coordination among stakeholders like MCD (Muncipal Corp of Delhi, Delhi Police, Delhi Commissioner, and Delhi Pollution Control Committee," said the court. It is the responsibility of the Commission for Air Quality Management in Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas to coordinate activities of all these entities with a view to ensuring that the measures are implemented, the court added.

 

The court commissioners said in one of the reports that in a certain area, local toll booth persons and a station house officer told them "this area is of big shooters, criminals, and gang and muscle-people are very active here and not paying toll. This is ground reality and live stubble burning is also there". The commissioner said the Delhi Pollution Control Committee was helping them, but taking limited action. There was illegal construction in posh colonies, and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee said they don't have jurisdiction for plots below 500 square metres and instead, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi deals with such places. 

 

On Monday, the top court asked the air quality commission to constitute a team of officers to go through each and every report submitted by the court commissioners. The directed the air quality commission to take the issue of non-compliance of stage IV measures with the concerned authorities and stakeholders. 

 

The apex court said in earlier hearings, it had proposed going into all aspects of causes of air pollution and trying to find out permanent solutions to the problems of stubble burning and other causes of pollution. The Bench asked the amicus curiae, who is a friend of the court, to prepare a note on these issues within two weeks, so that the court could assign dates for considering them.  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Tanima Banerjee

 

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