Talk with all stakeholders over alarming levels of air pollution: CJI TS Thakur

NEW DELHI: Chief Justice TS Thakur has expressed concern over the alarming levels of air pollution in Delhi and asked the Centre and state governments to deal with the problem after consultations with all stake-holders. He said that the lack of a policy to tackle the problem made the country look like it was unable to deal with the problem.

Hearing a case related to entry of trucks into Delhi, along with Justice R Banumathi, the CJI, however, ruled out the possibility of the court intervening in the matter. The top court can only act as a catalyst, he seemed to suggest. The hands-off governance line is in keeping with Justice Thakur’s stated policy on not interfering in policy matters.

The CJI said that he was embarrassed and at a loss to explain the alarming pollution levels in the city when the ICJ chief justice came visiting recently. Prague and Amsterdam have zero pollution and Delhi is one of the most polluted cities, he observed.