Centres brings in news law to control Air Pollution in Delhi-NCR: Rs 1CR. fine, 5-years jail.

The central government has issued an ordinance, making air pollution a crime with a jail term that can go up to five years and a fine up to Rs 1 crore.

Delhi: On Wednesday night, the ordinance was issued after approval of the President, requires setting up of a Commission for Air Quality Management for the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The 18-member commission will be led by a full-time chairperson who has been a secretary to the government of India or chief secretary of a state. Ten out of 18 members of this commission have to be bureaucrats while others are experts and activists.

A selection committee, led by the environment minister, and having three other ministers and the cabinet secretary will appoint the members of the Commission for a term of three years.

Three broad areas that will be looked by the commission will relate to monitoring of air pollution, enforcement of laws and research and innovation. The commission will be setting up sub-committees to assess the three distinguished fields.

It will look into issues of stubble burning, vehicular pollution, dust pollution and all other factors that have deteriorated the quality of air in Delhi-NCR. The commission will submit its annual reports to Parliament and will be a central body for all purposes.

A significant aspect of this commission is that the central government has proposed to replace the Supreme Court-appointed EPCA and all other bodies with this commission, making it the exclusive authority on air quality management for Delhi-NCR.

Also, in matters of disagreements between orders by state governments or its agencies and the commission, the directions issued by the latter will prevail.

Violating of any order or direction by the commission can call for a jail term up to 5 years and a fine up to Rs 1 crore. This body can get a complaint filed before a court and upon receipt of such a complaint, prosecution can commence.