The National Green Tribunal (NGT) castigated the Centre, Delhi and its neighbouring states for not even reading its orders to curb pollution and “playing a joke” on the people by doing nothing in the first five days when a toxic smog engulfed the national capital region.
Authorities in Delhi began revoking licences for thousands of older diesel vehicles on Tuesday and halted construction work on the underground rail network, as air pollution despite easing from Monday remained several times over the safety limit.
On Tuesday, the air quality index had dropped to 372 by around noon, but that was still in the highest alert “hazardous” zone, which starts at 300.
As wind speed picked up, it lifted a thick haze of smoke, ash and other pollutants that has blanketed the capital city of more than 17 million people for more than a week.
Levels of PM 2.5, tiny particulate matter that reaches deep into the lungs and causes breathlessness, throat irritation and wheezing, were above 700 in the city’s worst affected areas on Monday.
The green panel slammed the states for not taking steps to control stubble burning and gave road map for implementing its directions immediately. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) called the pollution crisis, worst in nearly two decades, an epidemic.
“First, we want to know how many of you have read the orders on air pollution fully and implemented them And if you say yes, remember you are falling into a trap because we will ask you about it. If you have not read it, be clear and honest. There can’t be two answers,” the NGT said.
When officials replied in the negative, the bench asked them to go through all judgements, saying “this shows your first intention of being totally insensitive towards the environment.” “See what kind of joke you people play. You ask people who fix lights on the streets to sprinkle water with cranes to control dust pollution Why could you not deploy helicopters to sprinkle water
As an interim measure, NGT banned all construction work in Delhi and NCR for the next 7 days and halted stone crushers and brick kilns to ease the usual winter crisis seen to have been aggravated by Diwali fireworks and farm fires in neighbouring states.
About 10 lakh schoolkids are for now forced to stay home and a large number of people worked from home as residents complained of breathlessness, watering of eyes, aggravated coughs and wheezing.
The NGT also castigated the AAP government for shutting schools without conducting any scientific study.
