Delhi Air Pollution [LIVE UPDATES from the Supreme Court]

A special bench of the Supreme Court will continue hearing the petition by 17-year-old Delhi student Aditya Dubey concerning rising levels of air pollution in Delhi.Last week, the Court had directed the Central government and the States of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to implement its orders of December 2.The Special Bench had also lamented that it has been portrayed as villain by some sections of the media for prompting the closure of schools on account of the air pollution in Delhi.A Bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant will hear the plea.Live updates from the hearing below..Centre informs Supreme Court that sudden inspections by flying squads have found that maximum violations arise from the industrial sector, which is a major contributing sector to air pollution particularly during the winter months..Senior Advocate C Aryama Sundaram seeks to know if intervention applications will be taken up.CJI Ramana: We will come to it. Senior Advocate Vikas Singh: Things have got better since the crucial period is over. But now standards of Delhi has to be revised..CJI Ramana: Yesterday night at 11 PM, the Commission for Air Quality Management... Mr. Singh saying that there is an improvement.. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta: He is saying this on behalf Aditya Dubey, the petitioner or builders' association? Bench smiles.CJI Ramana: Intervention applications we will not entertained now. All applications must be considered by the commission and in consultation of states relaxations have to be considered..Solicitor General: Long term measures are in contemplation. CJI Ramana: Sugar mill, Paper mill, builders, schools are before us in intervention applications. Solicitor General submits application of intervention by commission. Intervention allowed..CJI Ramana: We can give a week's time to the commission to examine the intervention applications. But, then if builder and association wants to be heard by commission then it will be a long process.Solicitor General: This is not even a quasi-judicial body, it is purely administrative..Sr. Adv. Sundaram: Let all the IAs be placed before commission within a week. My plea is different than other paper mills, please direct the IAs to be considered within a week's time..Senior Advocate CS Vaidyanathan: Let the commission take a quick call regarding constructions.Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal: I am for rice manufacturers and it's a continuous process. I made a representation but nothing was heard.CJI Ramana: No, no, no, nothing lifting now. Now it has started improving..CJI Ramana: Slowly they will relax.Sr. Adv. Sibal: Paddy season will be over.CJI Ramana: My state has a lot of rice, but there was no one to buy it. I don't know if this is an occasion to say this..Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi for Delhi government: We had requested for construction to continue in Hospitals. 7 was allowed and only another needs to be allowed out of 19 and that is the Indira Gandhi hospital in which only external and basement work is required..CJI Ramana: If all states and Centre took steps regarding controlling pollution, then we would not have entertained this.Dr. Singhvi: Please ask us to approach commission with these hospitals. CJI Ramana: Commission knows about all this. I cannot give preference to any state or industry..Advocate Shyel Trehan requests the matter regarding wages to construction workers be kept pending.CJI Ramana: Please do not expand the scope of IA..CJI Ramana: Applications by Advocate Trehan & Advocate Manish Kumar be kept here. Rest all IAs to be placed before the commission. Commission's IA in this case to be allowed. Commission to examine the IAs and order relaxations wherever needed. We expect the commission will take a call in one week. .CJI Ramana: The States who have not paid wages to construction workers have to file a compliance affidavit in the Supreme Court. We have given liberty to commission.

Delhi Air Pollution [LIVE UPDATES from the Supreme Court]

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