UP, Haryana & Rajasthan were sleeping like 'Kumbhakarna': SC

Press Trust of India  |  New Delhi 

The governments of Uttar Pradesh, and have been sleeping like 'Kumbhakarna' and now they are "blaming" the for passing orders banning use of pet coke and furnace in their states, the Supreme said today.

A bench of Justices and Deepak Gupta took strong exception to these states creating an impression that the order was passed by the top without giving them notice.


The anguished bench also asked whether it was the duty of to wake these states up.

"On what basis do you say it was done without notice? If the state governments are sleeping, is it our duty to wake them up," the bench asked after perusing an affidavit filed by the Centre in the matter.

Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni, appearing for the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), was quick to respond, saying that the Centre has not said anything like this but was said by these states in their representation on the issue of ban on pet coke and furnace

"How can they say it was without notice," the bench asked, adding "they start making allegations blaming the and they were sleeping like Kumbhakarna".

Kumbhakarna, the younger brother of King Ravana in the epic Ramayana, used to sleep for six months at one go.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Rajasthan, said he would look into the matter and assured the bench that these averments would be withdrawan.

The counsel representing and also said they would file their affidavits in this regard.

"Haryana, and have volunteered to file affidavit withdrawing the suggestions made that October 24 order was passed without notice to these states," the bench said and directed that affidavits be filed within two weeks.

The bench observed that when it had passed the order on October 24 placing a ban on use of furnace and pet coke in states of Uttar Pradesh, and from November 1, no counsel had appeared for and

"To make the situation worse, there is no representation on behalf of the state of UP, nor is there any representation from the state of Rajasthan," the apex had noted in its October 24 order.

"Counsel appearing for the state of wants us to wait for two minutes so that he can get instructions from the state government. We are not inclined to wait for two minutes so as to enable counsel to get instructions. Instructions should have been obtained well before the date of hearing," it had said.

The Centre had later informed the top that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued a direction prohibiting the use of pet coke and furnace until further orders in the states of Uttar Pradesh, and

The use of pet coke and furnace is already prohibited in Delhi.

The was hearing a PIL filed in 1985 by environmentalist M C Mehta who had raised the issue of air pollution in the Delhi-NCR.

Earlier, the was told about the ill-effects of pet coke and furnace used in the industries on ambient air and it was said that emissions from such units were highly toxic as these discharged high sulphur content.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Wed, December 13 2017. 17:56 IST