NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday took suo motu cognizance of the rising pollution level in the Yamuna in the national capital and appointed senior counsel Meenakshi Arora as amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter. Taking suo motu cognizance of the matter, a Bench of Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian issued notice to the Haryana government after Delhi Jal Board complained ammonia level in the water has gone up because of discharge of untreated waste water by Haryana in the river. Arora, appearing for DJB, told said the sewage treatment plants for treating waste water set up by the Haryana government at different points on the Yamuna were not working and due to a rise in the ammonia level in the river water, it was becoming unfit for consumption.
NGT directs FSSAI to finalise draft Packaging Regulations in 3 months
New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to finalise the draft Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2020 within three months. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said the issue of use of plastic bottles and multi layered plastic packages for packaging of carbonated soft drinks, liquor and other items also needs to be further considered by the concerned authorities. "The FSSAI may finalise the draft regulations as far as possible within three months which may be enforced and monitored through a credible monitoring mechanism," the bench said.
Badaun gangrape: Priest, others sent to police custody
A temple priest and his accomplices accused of raping and killing a woman, 50, in Badaun were remanded in 1-day police custody by a local court. Circle officer of Bilsi, Anirudh Singh, said on Wednesday, "The three accused persons in the Ughaiti incident have already been sent to jail. But there are some questions which need to be answered. For this, it is necessary to take the three accused on remand".
SC SLAMS SHUTDOWN OF ANGANWADIS, HARMING FUTURE GEN
The SC on Wednesday took a serious view of the shutdown of all Anganwadis across the country, holding the Centre and the state govts damaging the next generation by stopping nutritious food to children through the Anganwadi system. In a 31-page judgment, it said: "We are of the view unless there are any specific reasons for not opening of anganwadi centres, all anganwadi centres beyond the containment zones should be made functional by all the states/Union Territories at an early date.” A bench, headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan and comprising Justices R Subhash Reddy and MR Shah, expressed shock at the stinginess in providing adequate nutrition to children. It ordered all states and Union territories to ensure that nutritional standards as provided in Schedule II of the National Food Security Act, 2013, should be fulfilled by providing nutritional support to pregnant women, lactating mothers, and to children who suffer from malnutrition. —Our Bureau
