NGT goes into smog fighting mode, bans all construction work in Delhi-NCR for 7 days

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has finally taken a big step to fight the smog in Delhi. The NGT, so as to bring the smog condition under control, has banned all the construction work in Delhi and NCR for a whole week. It also thrashed Delhi government for sprinkling water through cranes instead of choppers to control dust pollution.

The NGT has also asked Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi to come up with an action plan. "What preventive, precautionary and curative measure you are taking, tell us in tomorrow's hearing," NGT has told all the states.

As air pollution in Delhi is still many times over the safety limit, authorities have started revoking licences for thousands of older diesel vehicles on Tuesday and halted construction work on the underground rail network

The measures were the latest attempt to lift a thick haze of smoke, ash and other pollutants that has blanketed the capital city of more than 17 million people for more than a week, triggering public anger.

The NGT thrashed Delhi and other neighboring states for not taking the required steps to control the situation and also asked them to provide complete mechanism on implementation of its directions by tomorrow to curb air pollution.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar took to task the secretaries of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh for not implementing its orders on crop burning and containing air pollution.

"What did you do when all this smog was going on and the particulate matter reached beyond prescribed limits? What steps did you take, except till yesterday? For the first five days nobody did anything, be it the states or the Centre. Show us one thing visible to common man," the bench said.

During the hearing, the bench also castigated the AAP government for shutting schools without conducting any scientific study and asked how it came to the conclusion that pollution indoor was better than outdoor for children.

The NGT for now, had deferred the matter for hearing tomorrow after it was informed that the Supreme Court was also hearing the case.