My grandson wears mask due to pollution, says Chief Justice
October 05, 2015  18:33
image
Supreme Court today asked the Centre and Delhi government to positively respond to a plea seeking levy of 'pollution compensatory charges', along with toll tax, on commercial vehicles plying in the national capital, with the Chief Justice and a senior lawyer observing that they and their kin too were victims of the alarming pollution levels.

"My grandson wears mask due to pollution," Chief Justice H L Dattu said when senior advocate Harish Salve submitted that he had to take steroid for the first time a few days ago. "My wife has asthma. My daughter has asthma and I had to take steroid first time two days back," Salve said. "This is a serious issue. We will take up this matter on Thursday. We want positive response," a bench of the CJI and Justices Arun Mishra and Adarsh Kumar Goel said.

Seeking enforcement of principle of environment law that the polluter has to pay, Salve, who is the amicus curiae in a 1985 PIL filed by environmentalist M C Mehta, termed the situation as "alarming" and sought urgent intervention before it worsens further due to onset of winter.

The court, which has usually been critical of reporting of its observations during the proceedings, today said, "This is one case where newspapers should report as to what transpired in the court during the hearing."

Salve, during the hearing, referred to the report of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority for NCR and said a large number of commercial vehicles opt Delhi and NCR roads, instead of the highways, as it is cheaper to traverse through the capital city.
« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES