The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has pulled up the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) for failing to take steps to curb air pollution in the Capital. Directing the Delhi Chief Secretary to look into the issue, the green panel warned that the Centre may be asked to transfer power of the DPCC to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) if the State pollution monitoring body continues to “defeat law”.
Noting that the DPCC has failed to take action in a number of matters related to pollution in the national capital, a Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said, “No officer or authority can be allowed to defeat law in the manner it is being done on regular basis by the DPCC.”
“In such a situation, option may also have to be explored for action under [relevant rules] whereby the Central Government may handover the functions of defiant DPCC to the Central Board,” the Bench said.
Noting that the Chief Secretary had earlier been apprised of failure on the part of the DPCC’s functioning, the Bench also asked the officer to “take remedial measures about proper manning and effective functioning of the DPCC”.
Coming down heavily on the DPCC, the Bench said, “The tribunal may have to consider whether a statutory authority, which is repeatedly failing to perform its duties should continue in position as one of the reasons which is contributing to unabated pollution in Delhi resulting in large deaths and diseases is the failure of statutory authorities to perform their duties.”
The Bench added, “In absence of responsiveness of the statutory authorities who have to carry out the orders of this tribunal, mere passing of paper orders will not advance the purpose for which this tribunal has been constituted.”
