'What's the logic?': SC grills Delhi govt over odd-even scheme; orders Rs 1 lakh fine on garbage burning

New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: Expressing annoyance at the alarming situation in Delhi due to severe air pollution, the Supreme Court on Monday questioned the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government on the logic behind implementing the odd-even road rationing scheme. The court fixed the next date of hearing on Wednesday. 

The top court asked it to submit data on the scheme before it by Friday to prove that the exercise has reduced pollution levels in the national capital, even as autorickshaws and taxis continue to play the roads.  

"Cars create less pollution. What are you (Delhi) getting from this Odd-Even? What is the logic behind odd-even scheme? Banning diesel vehicles we can understand, but what is the point of odd-even scheme," asked Justice Arun Mishra.

The Supreme Court ordered a fine of Rs 1 lakh on garbage burning and a penalty of Rs 5,000 on dumping trash in Delhi-NCR. It also ordered that no further power cuts be made in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh till it further orders to stop use of diesel generators.

Holding the state government and authorities responsible for the worsening situation, the court said: "This is a gross violation of fundamental right to life. Various state governments and civic bodies have failed to discharge their duties."

Taking serious note of stubble burning and saying that it cannot go unabated every year, the top court summoned Chief Secretaries of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to appear before it, on stubble burning and pollution issue. Police departments and local administrations in all states have been ordered to ensure not even a single incident of crop stubble burning takes place. 

The bench ordered that all officers and authorities right from chief secretary to gram sarpanch would be held accountable for even a single incident of stubble burning and they will be prosecuted for contempt of court.

The Amicus Curiae told the top court that as per Centre's affidavit crop burning has gone up by 7 pc in Punjab, gone down by 17 pc in Haryana.  

A bench of justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta, while taking up a report by the Environment Pollution Control Authority or EPCA on the pollution caused by stubble-burning, said: “Delhi is choking every year and we are not able to do anything. Every year this is happening and this continues for 10-15 days, this is not done in civilised countries. Right to life is most important.”

“People are losing precious years of their lives due to pollution. No one is safe even inside homes; it is atrocious. Can we survive in this atmosphere? This is not the way we can survive,” it questioned. 

Terming the situation as "grim", the apex court asked the Centre and Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi govermment about the steps taken to control the worsening air quality in the national capital. 

Holding the state governments responsible for the alarming situation in Delhi, the Supreme Court asked the Centre to call environmental experts, including from IIT, to the court within 30 minutes.

The court said it will not tolerate this and will fix liability on the state governments.

The remarks came on a day the odd-even scheme road rationing scheme came into force in Delhi, where the air quality remained in 'severe' category on Monday despite the pollution levels dropping marginally due to a slight increase in wind speed.

The Delhi government had on Friday directed closure of schools till November 5 and banned construction activities after the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority declared a public health emergency as air quality plummeted.