The Supreme Court is hearing the matter related to the implementation of the odd-even scheme in Delhi on Friday. During the hearing, the Supreme Court expressed concern on the reducing groundwater in Punjab and said there is a need to phase out paddy cultivation in the state. "The water table in Punjab is going down. We don't want another desert there. Phasing out of paddy is needed," the court observed.
During the hearing, the top court also came down heavily on the Delhi government and asked it to not shift the burden on it. "Don't try to not perform and then shift the burden on to the court," it added. The apex court also set the date of the next hearing on November 21.
The top court also made it clear that the farm fires must stop in states. “We suggested a methodology, you do it however you want. But farm fires must be stopped. Some emergency measures are required to stop the farm fires," it added. During the hearing, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul stated that the people have to pray only, sometimes the wind comes and helps, and sometimes rains. “God may have heard the prayers of people and intervened, no thanks to the government,” he added.
'People cannot be made to die...': SC
The Supreme Court also observed that farmers are also a part of society and they have to be more responsible. "We have to be more responsive to their needs. But people cannot be made to die," it added, The top court further said that farmers are very well organised in Punjab and asked the government why it doesn't talk to the farmer's bodies and motivate them. "The pollution level must come down, it cannot await tomorrow,” declared the apex court.
Delhi govt files affidavit
Ahead of the hearing, the Delhi government had filed an affidavit in the top court in response to its direction on air pollution. In the affidavit, the Aam Aadmi Party-led government informed the apex court that traffic congestion has decreased as a result of its odd-even vehicle emissions reduction policy.
The Delhi government's affidavit was submitted two days after the Supreme Court referred to the odd-even scheme designed to reduce vehicular emissions in the capital as "optics."
Delhi govt to submit results of two major studies
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the city government would submit the results of two major studies conducted by the Energy Policy Institute of the University of Chicago and the Delhi Technical University to determine the scheme's effectiveness for the Supreme Court's review.
"A positive impact of rainfall has been noticed on the AQI level. There has been an improvement in the AQI index. The decision to implement the odd-even scheme will be made only after the Supreme Court reviews its effectiveness and issues an order," the minister said.
Earlier on November 7, the apex court asked the counsel for the Delhi government whether the odd-even scheme had succeeded when it was implemented earlier. "These are all optics, this is the problem," a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia had observed.
Supreme Court's direction to Delhi's neighbouring states
Amid a spike in air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court has directed Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to ensure crop residue burning was stopped "forthwith", saying it cannot let "people die" due to pollution. The bench also directed the Delhi government to ensure that municipal solid waste was not burnt in the open.
As the city's air quality worsened, the minister had on Monday announced that the odd-even scheme will be enforced in the city from November 13 to 20. Introduced in 2016, the odd-even car rationing scheme permits cars to operate on alternate days based on their odd or even number plates.
The enforcement next week would mark the fourth time that the Delhi government will implement this scheme to tackle pollution caused by vehicles. According to a 2018 study conducted by The Energy and Resources Institute, vehicular emissions contribute roughly 40 per cent to the (particulate matter) PM 2.5 pollution in the capital.
(With inputs from agencies)
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