Not In Favour Of Work From Home For Employees: Centre To SC On Delhi Pollution
Delhi Government told Supreme Court that if stubble burning is 3-4%, it need not be addressed, instead see it as a cause
Mumbai: Responding to the Supreme courts suggestion of asking the employees to work from home, amid the derogating air quality in Delhi-NCR, the Centre said that instead, it will advise employees to resort to carpooling to reduce the use of vehicles.
The Centre, through an affidavit, explained that the number of vehicles used by the Central government is a minuscule fraction of the total vehicles in the national capital and stopping their plying would not make much impact towards improving the air quality of Delhi.
The affidavit also pointed out directives issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management for Delhi-NCR & adjoining areas that included a ban on entry of trucks in Delhi till Nov 21 except trucks carrying essential commodities, closure of thermal plants, ban on construction
On vehicular pollution, SG Tushar Mehta informed the apex court that Commission ordered (state) authorities to ensure diesel vehicles that are over 10 years old &petrol vehicles over 15 years old shouldn’t be allowed to ply.
Delhi govt was also asked to put on road adequate no. of CNG buses at the earliest to curb vehicular pollution.
The SG further suggested Supreme Court immediately shut down industries using unapproved fuels industries having gas connectivity should be immediately shifted to gas.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Delhi Govt told Supreme Court that if stubble burning is 3-4%, it need not be addressed instead want to say it is a cause.
Reacting to this, the top Court told Singhvi that it should not shift its focus from pollution, by raising issues that are not relevant. “We have taken care of this and said in our order to request farmers to not be involved in stubble burning for two weeks,” said the SC.
Delhi government also informed the court that 90% of what the Centre proposed has been done by the government and the suggestions are modelled on the Delhi government’s measures.
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