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Informist, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025

 

NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Delhi National Capital Region states to consider whether a policy decision could be taken to ensure that a substantial number of vehicles purchased by the government, its bodies and organisations should be electric. The decision would be taken by the states and placed before the court by Mar. 17, said the Bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan. The top court was hearing a case on rising air pollution levels in Delhi-National Capital Region and the issue of stubble burning in the neighbouring states.

 

The apex court said that the real issue which the national capital was facing was that approximately 3,000 tonnes of solid waste generated in Delhi was remaining untreated. With the passage of time, this figure is bound to increase, said the court. One of the main reasons for this is the failure of the Delhi government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi to implement Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.

 

"If there is no real time solution emerging to deal with untreated solid waste generated every day, this court will have to consider passing drastic orders of stopping certain categories of construction activities in the state," said the court. The top court noted Rule 4 of the 2016 rules which imposed an obligation on every waste generator, street vendor, residents' welfare and market associations with more than 5,000 square metres area and all hotels to take certain steps which were mandatory in nature. If Rule 4 is strictly complied with within the state, it may have the effect of not only reducing but preventing the generation of untreated solid waste of more than 3,000 tonnes per day, said the court.

 

Accordingly, the court directed the Delhi government and the municipal corporation to form teams that should be dedicated to the task of identifying whether there is compliance with Rule 4 of 2016 rules. The court asked the Delhi government and the municipal corporation to initiate proceedings under Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 against those who were not complying with Rule 4 of 2016 rules. "We make it clear that unless a massive exercise of strict implementation of Rule 4 is commenced by the Delhi government and MCD and all other local authorities we will have to come out with harsh measures," said the court.

 

The apex court noted that in some of the cities in India, certain practices, which could be termed as best practices, were being followed in connection with biodegradable waste management, material processing, plastic waste management and other related things. The court asked the Delhi government and the municipal corporation to look into the best practices followed by other cities in India and state in its affidavit which practices it wished to follow.  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Deepshikha Bhardwaj

 

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