SC defers after Diwali vacation hearing on plea to prevent air pollution

The Supreme Court on Friday deferred after the Diwali vacation hearing on a plea seeking directions to ban stubble burning in the states neighbouring the national capital to prevent air pollution. A bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde, said, "We will conduct the hearing after Diwali."

During the last hearing in the matter, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the Centre had submitted that an ordinance has been brought in order to deal with the air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region and adjoining areas. Mehta had also sought directions to keep in abeyance it's October 16 order of appointing former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B Lokur as one-man commission to look into the issue of air pollution and stubble burning, which was allowed by the court.

The top court was hearing a plea, which referred to a Harvard University study that air pollution may now be an important factor that aggravates a mild COVID-19 infection into an acute one, had contended that stubble burning contributes almost 40 per cent of air pollution in Delhi. It had sought directions to ban stubble burning in the states neighbouring the national capital as it creates massive air pollution in the winters. (ANI)