National Green Tribunal Raps State Governments For Failing To Tackle Pollution

A day after the launch of the National Air Quality Index, the National Green Tribunal or NGT today rapped the governments of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for not complying with its 2014 order on tackling pollution.

Criticising the state governments sharply, the tribunal said, "Delhi is becoming vulnerable to various diseases and greatest sufferers are young children of today and India's tomorrow."

The states now have up to 20 hours to put up check points at the state borders in a bid to prevent old vehicles from entering city limits in the National Capital Region or NCR. The three state governments are also expected to submit a compliance report within two days.

In 2014, the NGT had directed the NCR states to ban 15 year old petrol cars. Now diesel run vehicles that are more than 10 years old will also have to stay off the roads.

Meanwhile, the Union government has decided to frame new rules for curbing waste and dust from construction sites within 15 days.

17 critically polluting industries have to install air quality monitors by June 30. These will be linked to the State Pollution Control Boards, which will be monitored 24x7.

Ministers from Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are scheduled to meet on April 13 to discuss how to comprehensively tackle pollution in the region.

"Everyday vehicle numbers are growing population growing. It's a war we have to fight every day. We have decided we will meet soon and come up with a concrete plan on what we will do in two months, six months, or one year. So let us build that action plan," said Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar at a press meet.

Environment Ministry sources say they are also exploring the options of legal provisions to introduce penalties in the environment protection Act to tackle pollution.