Delhi Air Pollution: Kejriwal govt bans entry of vehicles carrying non-essential goods till further order

SC to hear the matter on air pollution next Wednesday. CJI observes "Bureaucracy has gone into inertia and they don't want to do anything. Like using sprinklers or water buckets we have to say, this is the attitude of the executive,"

Supreme Court suggests that Central government officers living in government colonies travel in public transport.

SC asks SG about how many vehicles are there and how are Central government officials traveling; says "You don't need all 100 officers in the office, you can instead call 50 officers. There are several government localities, can't they travel in public transport? SG says WFH in a state like Delhi will have an impact in Delhi but if we (Central employees) go WFH, it'll have pan-India ramifications. Can the minimum impact it has on pollution outweigh the impact it will have on Pan India functioning; thus we've suggested car-pooling, SG adds

You all say vehicle is the main cause, but gas guzzlers, hi-fi cars run on Delhi roads. Who'll encourage them to stop this? Delhi says no point in banning vehicles or have WFH if not implemented in neighboring states. We thought Commission will give us steps to stop this, SC says

Solicitor General tells Supreme Court that meteorological scientists were also there in the emergency meeting and according to them the wind flow will be there after November 21; says "Would this court not consider waiting till Nov 21 before implementing harsh measures." 

CJI NV Ramana says that there has to be some responsibility, not everything can be done through judicial order; asks the reason for the burning of firecrackers in Delhi in past 10 days after Diwali.

On what it has done for farmers on stubble burning, Haryana government tells Supreme Court that Chief Secretary and District Magistrates are taking stock of the situation so that no stubble burning takes place in these (next) two weeks. Counsel appearing for Punjab government tells Supreme Court the State doesn't fall under Delhi-NCR region but has taken measures (for stubble burning).

Haryana government tells Supreme Court that it has implemented whatever was suggested by the Commission and that whatever is ordered will be followed.

On whether it is possible for it to increase the supply of CNG buses, Delhi govt informs SC that it can increase metro and bus frequencies; requests (SC) to order work from home, ban in vehicles in periphery (adjoining states) too, since no point of such ban only in Delhi.

On SC asking Delhi govt over steps to curb air pollution; Delhi government says construction sites are being vigorously looked at with day and night patrolling and anti smog guns have been installed. Anti-dust campaign being organised as well.

SC says what it's seeing is the plight of farmers. People sitting in Delhi in 5, 7-star hotels criticise how they contribute 4, 30 or 40% to pollution. Have you seen their (farmers) earning per landholding?CJI says we ignore the fact that firecrackers are burning despite the ban?

Delhi government tells Supreme Court that 90% of what the Centre proposed has been done by Delhi government and the suggestions are modelled on Delhi government's measures. 

Debates on TV are creating more pollution than everybody. They don’t understand, statements are taken out of context.  Everyone has their own agenda, says Supreme Court.

Supreme Court tells Singhvi that its focus is pollution, and he is raising issues that are not relevant. We have taken care of this and said in our order to request farmers to not be involved in stubble burning for two weeks. Singhvi tells Supreme Court that the figures on stubble burning would be much higher in November and asks Supreme Court to not ignore them. Delhi government says source-based breakup of contribution to pollution is yet to be done.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Delhi Govt tells Supreme Court that if stubble burning is 3-4%, it need not be addressed. We want to say it is a cause. The Commission also directed all NCR States to close all schools, colleges, and educational institutions and to hold classes via online mode until further orders, Solicitor General tells Supreme Court.

Solicitor General tells Supreme Court that the Commission for air quality management for Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas meeting was held and all Chief Secretaries of NCR states and Central ministries senior officials and certain mandatory directions were issued to states. SG Tushar Mehta tells SC that there were nasty appearances against him in media that he misled Court on stubble burning. Court says it wasn't misled & such criticism is bound to happen in public offices. "We 're clear, our conscience is clear, forget about all this," CJI tells SG

The Centre has proposed in affidavit before Supreme Court on issue of pollution that all schools in Delhi to remain shut, online classes be allowed.

Only five of the 11 thermal power plants located within 300 km radius of Delhi -- NTPC, Jhajjar; Mahatma Gandhi TPS, CLP Jhajjar; Panipat TPS, HPGCL; Nabha Power Ltd. TPS, Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo TPS, Mansa -- will remain operational till November 30.

Air quality index in Faridabad (350), Ghaziabad (368), Greater Noida (358), Gurugram (354) and Noida (369) also recorded their air quality in very poor category. 

Delhi-NCR recorded its air quality in the very poor category on Wednesday morning and no major improvement is likely until Sunday, authorities said. The minimum temperature in the capital dropped to 9.6 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal and the lowest this season so far. The maximum is likely to settle around 27 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said. The city recorded its air quality index at 389 at 9 am. It had slipped into the severe zone on Tuesday and was recorded at 403 at 4 pm.

Trucks carrying non-essential items have been banned from entering Delhi till Sunday. The Centre points out directives issued by Commission for Air Quality Management for Delhi-NCR & adjoining areas that included ban on entry of trucks in Delhi till Nov 21 except trucks carrying essential commodities, closure of thermal plants, ban on construction.

Centre tells Supreme Court, through an affidavit, that number of vehicles used by Central government is a minuscule fraction of the total vehicles in the national capital and stopping their plying would not make much impact towards improving the air quality of Delhi.

The Centre has expressed unwillingness before the Supreme Court to ask its employees to work from home and instead it has advised its employees in Delhi to resort to carpooling to reduce the number of vehicles used by them for commuting.

The Commission of Air Quality Management has suggested NCR state governments to allow work from home (WFH) for at least 50 per cent of their staff in offices in NCR till Sunday and encourage private establishments to follow suit.

CAQM also directed Delhi and the NCR states to stop construction and demolition activities in the region till November 21, barring railway services/railway stations, metro rail corporation services, including stations, airports and inter-state bus terminals (ISBTS) and national security/defence-related activities/ projects of national importance subject to strict compliance of the C&D Waste Management Rules and dust control norms.

The CAQM late Tuesday night directed that schools, colleges and educational institutions in the National Capital Region will remain closed until further orders, allowing only online mode of education. It also said that only five of the 11 thermal power plants located within 300 km radius of Delhi -- NTPC, Jhajjar; Mahatma Gandhi TPS, CLP Jhajjar; Panipat TPS, HPGCL; Nabha Power Ltd. TPS, Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo TPS, Mansa -- will remain operational till November 30.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai will chair a high-level meeting of departments concerned with regard to the latest directions issued by the Commission of Air Quality Management to contain air pollution, officials said on Wednesday. "The minister has called a high-level meeting at 12 noon to discuss the latest CAQM directions with senior officials of the environment department, public works department, municipal corporations, NDMC and education department," an official said.