New Delhi: The amicus curiae appointed by National Green Tribunal (NGT) in a matter related to pollution levels in NCR has asked the tribunal to seek a status report from Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on the implementation challenges of its 85 directions issued so far.
The amicus, in a report dated Dec 16, also recommended that Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) establish a framework for periodic revisions of regional and city action plans, integrating evolving data from source apportionment studies, seasonal pollution patterns and emerging pollution sources.
NGT took suo motu cognisance of three matters — deteriorating air quality in various cities across the country, the enforcement of Graded Response Action Plan, and a media report on a study published in Lancet linking the mortality rate to poor air quality.
Since the formation of CAQM, it has issued 85 directions on various issues, the report stated. In its last direction, the commission authorised the member-secretaries of Delhi Pollution Control Committee and pollution control boards in other NCR states to file a complaint for the prosecution of the project proponents or executing agencies before the jurisdictional judicial magistrate in case of gross violations of orders related to dust or air pollution control and mitigation measures at such sites.
In its report, the amicus curiae suggested that CPCB should be directed to verify that city-specific action plans prioritise mitigation measures addressing the primary sources of pollution as identified in the respective source apportionment studies, with clear timelines and resource allocations for effective implementation.
It also urged NGT to direct CPCB to file quarterly progress reports before the tribunal, detailing the status of source apportionment studies across all cities and the impact of measures taken on pollution load reduction in terms of PM2.5 and PM10 levels.
