The Supreme Court on Wednesday chided the Centre, Delhi and the NCR states for resorting to ad hoc measures to tackle pollution and asked bureaucrats to work out a permanent solution by interacting with scientists and farmers.
“As a government lawyer and we judges are discussing this, what is the bureaucracy doing? Why don’t they go to the field, talk to farmers and scientists and take a decision?” Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana asked solicitor-general Tushar Mehta during a hearing.
The bench, also comprising Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Surya Kant, said though pollution levels in the Delhi-NCR regions of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan reached alarming levels every winter, the authorities never bothered to take pre-emptive measures.
The bench said the statutory commission set up by the Centre last year to deal with the pollution crisis should conduct a scientific study. “We take measures when the weather becomes severe. These measures have to be taken in anticipation….” Justice Chandrachud said.