Govt Says No Conclusive Data Relating Deaths to Pollution 

The central government during the Parliament session said there is no conclusive data to establish a direct correlation between deaths or diseases occurring exclusively due to air pollution. This position by the centre is in stark contrast to multiple studies highlighting India’s growing pollution-linked health burden, reported India Today.

A study by Lancet Planetary Health released last December estimated that long-term exposure to polluted air contributes to roughly 15 lakh additional deaths in India each year compared to WHO’s recommended safe-exposure limits. 

This claim by the central government comes at a time when the national capital region and major Indian cities are choked because of the hazardous air quality. On December 14, the air quality slipped into the severe category with a reading of 459, as per The Hindu report. 

CAQM Urges BS III Compliant and Earlier Vehicle Models Out of SC purview

The Commission for Air Quality Monitoring (CAQM) has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to keep the Bharat Standard (BS) III vehicles and earlier vehicles model out of August order, which paused coercive action against end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) to curb air pollution in Delhi, reported Indian Express. 

BS III norms were implemented in 2010 in major cities where the government increased restrictions on gaseous emissions such as Nitrogen Oxides, Carbon monoxide, and Hydrocarbons. Moreover, it limited the sulphur content to no more than 100 ppm.

CAQM has also sought a review of SC’s 2016 order that raised the 1% environment protection charge on luxury diesel cars and sports utility vehicles with engine capacity of 1000 cc and above. 

The Delhi government argued before the SC that a vehicle’s roadworthiness should be linked to its actual emissions as tested and recorded under the Motor Vehicles Act rather than imposing a blanket age-based ban.

NGT Questions Haryana Govt. and Pollution Board On Sewage in Delhi’s Drinking Water Drain 

The National Green Tribunal seeks clarification from Haryana Government and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) over possible contamination of a key stormwater drain that supplies drinking water in Delhi, after being told that sewage from Haryana’s Diversion Drain Number 6(DD-6) is spilling into Diversion Drain Number 8(DD-8), reported Hindustan Times. 

The issue is significant as DD-8 carries freshwater to Delhi, making any mixing of untreated waste a serious public and environmental hazard. 

Punjab HC Seeks Affidavit from GMADA, State Pollution Board Over Delayed Amenities at Mohali’s Eco City  

Punjab High Court seeks an affidavit from Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) and other state agencies over multiple civic deficiencies in Eco City, a residential area in New Chandigarh, Mohali, reported Indian Express. 

Mohali’s Eco city is facing multiple civic gaps in basic amenities, including the township’s sewage treatment plant (STP) capacity, lack of a garbage disposal system, overhead power lines, non-operational community facilities, and the emergence of a slum cluster along the riverbed near Mullanpur.

The bench sought clarity on the status of replies and compliance reports after counsel pointed out that a civil miscellaneous application, highlighting unresolved deficiencies, had been pending since December 4, 2024. Despite multiple status reports, several respondents had not filed substantive replies.

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