SC issues notices to MCD, DDA, and others over vehicular pollution
The Supreme Court on Monday broadened its hearing and sought input from various authorities, such as the MCD and DDA, concerning the rise in vehicular pollution in the National Capital Region.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan mentioned that they would review the guidelines for allowing apartment construction, stressing that no building would be sanctioned without a designated parking space.
"We need to address this issue. What does the Delhi Master Plan specify? What is the process for obtaining permission to construct a residential building??" the bench asked. The bench inquired if there were any limitations on a family purchasing a second or third vehicle in the Delhi-NCR area.
The Supreme Court inquired about the government's strategy to make electric vehicles more affordable. The court issued notices to the central government, the Delhi government, and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), along with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and set the next hearing date for February 3.
The CAQM informed the Supreme Court that it has directed the Delhi government and surrounding states to strictly adhere to emission standards and pollution regulations, as vehicular pollution significantly contributes to poor air quality. The bench was hearing a PIL filed by environmentalist M C Mehta regarding pollution in 1985.
It recently considered making hologram-based colour-coded stickers mandatory for vehicles in the country and stressed on the effective implementation of pollution under control certificate norms. The top court said it was considering making stickers mandatory in states and union territories beyond the NCR.
In 2018, the court had accepted a proposal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways which envisaged that hologram-based light blue stickers be used in vehicles using petrol and CNG in the NCR, while diesel-run vehicles will have orange stickers. These stickers will identify vehicles based on fuel and should also include the date of registration of the vehicle. The NCR states include Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.