Deteriorating air quality in Delhi, violations of GRAP: NGT issues notices, seeks reports from authorities

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices and sought action-taken reports from several authorities, including the Delhi chief secretary, Union environment ministry and MCD, in a matter regarding the deteriorating air quality in the national capital. The NGT issued the notices while hearing a matter where it had initiated suo motu (on its own) proceedings based on media reports on the deterioration in Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) and violations of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), under which stricter measures are taken to curb air pollution during winter.
Noting the reports, a bench of Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said despite action taken by the authorities, the problem of air pollution is aggravating in Delhi and the residents are facing various health problems due to it.

"We deem it proper to implead the following authorities in the matter -- chief secretary, Delhi, member-secretary, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), member-secretary, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). Let notice be issued to the aforesaid respondents," the tribunal said in an order passed on Friday.
It directed them to file action-taken reports on controlling air pollution from different sources in Delhi in accordance with the GRAP to maintain the AQI in an acceptable range to safeguard public health in view of the winter season ahead.
The matter has been listed on November 8 for further proceedings.