SC directs completion of Smog Towers in Delhi
SC directs completion of Smog Towers in Delhi
The Supreme Court Bench comprising of Justice Arun Mishra, B R Gavai and Krishan Murari directs Orders in regard to smog towers in Delhi.
The Supreme Court in January 2020, had directed the Delhi Government to construct a smog tower in Connaught Place within three months. It had also directed the Central Government to install another such structure to reduce air pollution in Anand Vihar in the same span of time.
The Supreme Court in August called out the Centre and the Government of Delhi for missing the deadline of 13th April 2020, of constructing the two smog towers.
The Supreme court now has granted ten months’ time for the construction of the smog towers for the purpose of curbing air pollution.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Department of Environment and Forest, Government of NCT of Delhi undertook before the bench to complete the project within 10 months’ time.
The bench also stated that while taking the undertaking any violation of the order of the court will be considered as contempt of Court.
The Delhi Pollution Committee said
“A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was recently signed for the smog tower with Tata Projects Ltd, land had been prepared and soil testing and feasibility survey has been completed.
The work is started and is expected to be completed in 10 months’ , the smog tower will be 20-meters high and is expected to cost Rs 19 Crore.
In the proceedings it was mentioned that National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) will construct the tower and TATA Projects Ltd will be responsible for installation work.
The Supreme Court also directed the Indian Railways to take necessary steps to remove approximately 48,000 slum dwellings around the rail tracks in Delhi, within a period of three months.
(By Andrea Dsilva)
