New Delhi: "Why do you call it air emergency? This is worse than 'The Emergency'. Emergency days were better," said a shocked Justice Arun Mishra at the appalling state of affairs, with the Centre and state governments at loggerheads, instead of acting in tandem and curbing air pollution, especially stubble burning.
The remarks came even as the Centre and the Delhi government were engaged in a verbal duel with Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar lashing out at the AAP government for promoting itself instead of tackling pollution. (The Delhi-NCR is enveloped in a thick blanket of smog since Diwali.)
Justice Mishra said people in the national capital region are losing "precious years of their lives" and cannot be "left to die" due to the "atrocious" pollution which reflects a "shocking state of affairs."
"People are not safe even inside their house. The air quality index level in bedrooms is above 500-600. This is the figure in Lutyen’s Delhi. Can we survive in this,’’ the court demanded.
Anguished over the incidence of stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, the top court summoned their chief secretaries on November 6 saying the time has come to "fix accountability" for this kind of situation which violates the right to life of citizens.
The court has also ordered a freeze on construction and demolition activities as well as garbage and waste burning in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) till further orders.
Justice Mishra said the time has come to fix accountability and stop the violation of Article 21 of the Constitution, under which protection of life and personal liberty is prioritised.
