In a significant move to combat air pollution, the Supreme Court has ordered the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and state authorities to submit a detailed action plan within three weeks.
This directive is a preemptive measure to tackle the severe air quality issues that arise every winter, especially in and around the National Capital Region (NCR).
The court, with a bench of Chief Justice B. R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran, emphasized the need for immediate and concrete steps to prevent a recurrence of past pollution crises. This decision comes as a response to a suo motu (on its own motion) case initiated by the court itself to address the persistent problem.
The court also expressed strong disapproval of several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab, for their failure to fill long-standing vacancies in their pollution control boards. The judges noted that a lack of adequate staff hinders effective enforcement of pollution control measures, especially during critical periods.
The court has given these states a three-month deadline to fill these positions. However, it has allowed a more lenient six-month period for filling promotional posts within these boards, as well as in the CAQM and CPCB.
The Supreme Court will review the progress and hear the matter again on October 8th.
