SC seeks response from Centre, four states on plea to curb pollution

New Delhi, Nov 13 : The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the Centre and the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh on a plea for taking immediate steps to curb rising air pollution in the national capital.

The bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud issued notice to the central government and the four states on a petition by a lawyer R.K. Kapoor, drawing the court's attention to the alarming level of air pollution due to rise in dust particles on the roads and stubble burning in these adjoining states.

The petitioner lawyer has sought vacuum cleaning and sprinkling of the roads, fruitful use of the stubble instead of burning them, use of electricity-driven vehicles instead of those using costly fuels -- diesel and petrol -- contributing to pollution and focus on solar energy instead of thermal power plants.

The court has given the respondents two weeks' time to respond to the petition by the senior lawyer.

Having issued the notice, the court tagged the plea with another matter relating to air pollution in Delhi being heard by the bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta.