The Supreme Court has ordered a serious plan for pollution control measures. (File)
New Delhi:
The government of Uttar Pradesh told the Supreme Court today during a pollution hearing in Delhi and surrounding cities that air pollution comes mainly from Pakistan. That prompted a question from Chief Justice of India NV Ramana that UP’s lawyers were unable to answer.
“Uttar Pradesh is reducing the wind. The air is mainly coming from Pakistan. Whatever is happening is not necessarily in UP,” said senior lawyer Ranjit Kumar, representing the UP government.
Chief Justice said: “So you want to ban the industry in Pakistan?”
The UP government made comments when it asked the Supreme Court not to impose restrictions on sugar mills and the dairy industry in the state to curb pollution.
Sugar mills are only allowed to operate for 8 hours and that is not enough.
Supreme Court directed UP to discuss this topic with the Committee on Air Quality Management (CAQM).
The commission told the Supreme Court in a statement that the crews would monitor compliance with air pollution measures. Schools and colleges in Delhi and surrounding areas will be closed from now on.
Regarding industrial pollution, the commission has said that industries that do not run on cleaner fuels will only be allowed to operate for up to 8 hours a day during weekdays and will be closed on weekends.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court gave a 24-hour deadline for the Center and the Delhi government to come up with a serious plan on pollution control measures. “In an emergency situation, you have to work in urgent ways,” the court said.
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