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    CJI makes pitch for bicycles, blames ‘beautiful’ cars for air pollution

    Synopsis

    Says only stubble burning not to blame for pollution, points finger at vehicular emissions in a shift of court stance.

    CJI
    The CJI had at the last hearing kept the functioning of the Lokur committee in abeyance in anticipation of a government law to create an expert body to deal with the problem.
    New Delhi: Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde on Thursday made a pitch for bicycles, citing experts to argue that stubble burning was alone not responsible for the air pollution overwhelming the Delhi NCR region and pointed a finger at another culprit -- vehicular emissions which are another important contributory factor.

    “We would like you to stop using your beautiful cars which you won’t do. We must all go out on bicycles – not motor cycles but bicycles,” the CJI, who loves motorbikes, observed during a hearing on air pollution in the court when amicus curiae Vikas Singh argued for letting the Lokur committee function while the ordinance creating a statutory expert body to deal with the problem took off.

    The CJI had at the last hearing kept the functioning of the Lokur committee in abeyance in anticipation of a government law to create an expert body to deal with the problem.

    Today Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the government had notified an ordinance bringing a statutory body into existence to deal with the problem.

    “Stubble burning is not alone to blame. Experts have told us that your (lawyers) beautiful cars are also responsible,” the CJI told senior advocate Singh, alluding to the rich class of lawyers who own multiple SUVs and the latest BMWs, Volkswagens and Mercedes and do not hesitate to flaunt them in the court complex.

    A routine day in court implies a mile-long traffic jam in the court complex. The scene is a rarity though after the pandemic and the lockdown with most lawyers retreating to more salubrious climes to argue their cases from home through video conferencing.

    Mehta backed the CJI’s views on letting the new body work instead of Justice Lokur when he said that it would tackle the problem of air pollution after examining the issue in a “wholistic” manner. “Immediate steps will be taken,” Mehta said. He did not reveal any further details.

    The government move effectively winds up yet another court-appointed committee the EPCA (Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority) which had been dealing with the problem for years now with mixed success.

    While the court was able to ensure a switch to CNG in public transport, these gains have since been frittered away. To deal with vehicular emission, the court was able to urge the government to switch to BS VI and also crack down on emissions. It has had little success though on dealing with stubble burning despite multiple interventions.

    Air pollution hasn’t been a priority for the executive for years now despite the annual smog that envelops Delhi NCR and is widely blamed for a host of respiratory illnesses and rising fatalities.

    The move to set up a new body came amidst an attempt by the top court to appoint Justice Madan B. Lokur to enlist local volunteers in NSS and NCC to deal with the problem of stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and west UP and US president Donald Trump’s remarks over “filthy” India.


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