SC seeks Punjab, Hry responses on uptick in farm fires by Nov 14
New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to file their responses by November 14 on the rise in farm fires and stubble burning incidents during the last 10 days in October.
It noted the report of Centre for Science and Environment indicating that incidents of farm fires in Punjab and Haryana shot up from 160 a day before Diwali to 605 incidents on the day of Diwali.
The apex court was hearing a plea seeking directions to curb air pollution in the national capital and adjoining areas.
On October 23, the top court pulled up the Centre for making the environment protection law “toothless” and asserted that there is a fundamental right of every citizen of India to live in a pollution-free environment.
The apex court had highlighted that even after six months of amending section 15 of Environment (Protection) Act, the Centre has not come out with rules and the machinery to enforce the provision for penalty against those violating the environment protection law, rendering it toothless.
It had also pulled up the Punjab and Haryana governments for not implementing court orders in cases of stubble burning.
The court also directed the Delhi government to give its status on curbing farm fires in the peripheral areas of the national capital.
The SC expressed serious concern over high pollution levels in Delhi during Diwali and took exception to the violation of court orders and said its directives on firecrackers ban were “hardly implemented”.
A bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih referred to newspaper reports mentioning a considerable violation of court orders and sought the Delhi government’s response on “perpetual ban” on firecrackers in the national capital.
The top court asked the Delhi government and the police on the steps that were taken to implement the orders completely banning manufacture, sale and bursting of firecrackers in the national capital and the action they have taken against the violators.
“We want the Delhi government to immediately respond as to why this has happened. We want all the orders to be placed on record banning the sale, manufacture and bursting of firecrackers in Delhi.
“We are also issuing notice to the Delhi police commissioner on the action police has taken so far against the violators and the steps it is taking to implement the orders of the court,” the bench said.
It directed the Delhi government and police commissioner to file their responses within a week saying, “there cannot be any dispute that the orders of the court banning firecrackers were hardly implemented”.
It posted the matter for further hearing on November 14 for compliance of its directions.
