नवीनतम
SC observes Delhi pollution curbs a ‘total failure’
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: On Wednesday, the Supreme Court expressed concern over ongoing civic and environmental issues in the Delhi-NCR region, particularly focusing on traffic congestion at toll plazas and rising air pollution.
In a notable comment regarding traffic jams, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) concerning frequent bottlenecks at Delhi's border toll points. The bench suggested that the NHAI consider relocating the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) nine toll booths to NHAI-operated sites in order to alleviate congestion. They proposed that a portion of the toll revenue be shared with the MCD to mitigate any temporary financial losses.
Regarding air quality, the Supreme Court remarked that the measures taken so far by authorities to control pollution in the Delhi-NCR region have been a "total failure." The bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, indicated that genuine improvement would require comprehensive and long-term planning rather than ad-hoc or short-term solutions.
While hearing petitions about the impact of pollution on children—specifically challenges to the Delhi government's decisions to close schools or allow hybrid classes—the court chose not to intervene. It noted that these actions were interim policy decisions aimed at providing temporary relief.
Earlier in the day, the BJP government announced a work-from-home mandate for 50% of employees in all government and private offices. This means that only half of the workforce will work on-site, while the other half will work from home. Delhi's Labour Minister, Kapil Mishra, stated at a press conference on Wednesday that these rules would take effect from Thursday. Certain sectors, including healthcare, fire services, prison administration, public transport, and disaster management, which are essential services, will be exempt from this rule.
Additionally, Kapil Mishra mentioned that the third phase of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-3) had been in place in Delhi for 16 days. During this time, construction work has been halted, impacting daily wage laborers. The Delhi government will provide Rs 10,000 as compensation to the accounts of all registered and verified construction workers.
The minister also stated that similar compensation would continue as long as GRAP-4 remains in effect. The fourth phase of GRAP is set to be implemented in the Delhi-NCR area starting at 8 AM on December 18. Under GRAP-4, the entry of heavy vehicles from other states into Delhi will be restricted.
