Prosecute officials who don’t act: Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Monday stepped up its efforts to get the officialdom to act on complaints received from citizens on air pollution. CPCB has received over 749 complaints over social media and another 3,000 since it launched an app.

A top court bench led by Justice Madan B. Lokur, took a dim view of civic authorities not addressing the complaints with the alacrity that the issue deserves. “There must be some deterrent,” amicus curiae Aparajita Singh said while presenting her latest status report.

The bench then demanded to know of Additional Solicitor General Atmaram Nadkarni, appearing for the Central Pollution Control Board with standing counsel Vijay Panjwani, what was being done. About 500 complaints had been dealt with but another 250 odd remained to be addressed, Nadkarni said.


The bench then proposes a solution – prosecute and jail civic authorities who do not address any grievances aired by affected citizens.

“Prosecute local agencies. Send their officials to jail. This is the only option left,” Justice Lokur, who demits office in December, said. “The CPCB must act.”