Bombay HC to form high-powered committee on Mumbai air pollution
Mumbai (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Thursday said it would form a high-powered committee to oversee the compliance of measures to tackle air pollution in the Mumbai region, noting that the efforts taken so far by state and civic authorities are insufficient.
It was not criticizing anyone but wanted to ensure that "people should live in pure air," said a division bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar.
The HC had in October 2023 taken suo motu cognizance of the rising pollution in the metropolis "which was ranging between good, satisfactory, moderate poor, very poor and severe", the bench noted.
Directions were issued by the court on November 6, 2023, and suggestions were made for short-term, mid-term and long-term measures.
Since then, the HC has made observations expressing dissatisfaction about the steps taken by the Mumbai and Navi Mumbai civic bodies, the judges said.
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) is simply "sailing on its affidavits," but the steps purportedly taken by it were not sufficient, the court stated.
Air pollution in Mumbai has not decreased, in fact it was reported to be very severe in December, said the judges.
"We have apprised ourselves of the previous orders, and find that compliances so far made by (municipal) corporations and MPCB are not sufficient and satisfactory," the court said.
The authorities might have taken serious steps but their results were not visible, it added.
The court expressed inability to examine all the affidavits filed by the municipal corporations and MPCB and reports submitted by an expert committee (formed in 2023), citing the "rising number of dockets and limited hours and time."
After hearing all the parties at length, the high court decided to form a high-powered committee led by a former Supreme Court judge to monitor the compliance of measures to tackle air pollution in Mumbai and the surrounding areas.
The committee should meet on a daily basis, the court said, adding that its members should be provided necessary facilities.
The bench also referred to a suggestion that the citizens affected by pollution should be compensated.
The lawyer for the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation said there are existing statutory bodies to look into this aspect.
"Maybe there are statutory bodies formed in Maharashtra, but then we have not come across any suggestion or action taken by such a body in the present proceedings..." the court said, adding that it was inclined to give "some powers" to the committee.
The court is expected to finalize the names of the committee members in its written order.
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Special squad to flush out illegal Bangladeshis: K'taka min
Bengaluru (PTI): A special squad will be formed to flush out illegal Bangladeshi immigrants from the state, Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy said on Thursday.
Replying to a calling attention by MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal in the state Assembly, Reddy said the agents who bring Bangladeshis to the state will also be arrested.
Reddy said that when he held the home portfolio in the past, a special squad was formed to identify Bangladeshis in agriculture estates.
"If needed, we will form a special squad, identify the illegal Bangladeshis in the state and send them back," the minister assured Yatnal, who is an expelled BJP legislator.
"We will start a drive to flush out the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to deport them. We will also book and arrest the agents, who bring Bangladeshis to Karnataka," Reddy said.
Yatnal claimed that there are about 25 lakh illegal migrants from Bangladeshis in the state who are working in the agriculture estates, shopping malls and security agencies and demanded the government's response.
Reddy said there were 370 illegal Bangladeshis in Karnataka of which 213 people have been sent back while action is being taken against the rest.
Those who have not been repatriated have been kept at the Foreign Detention Centre since they were involved in some criminal cases.
The minister said that people from the north east and West Bengal were being mistaken for Bangladeshis.
"Karnataka has people from the north east and not Bangladesh. There are about eight lakh to 10 lakh people from West Bengal, seven lakh to eight lakh from Bihar, people from Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in Bengaluru," Reddy said.
He blamed the Centre for the illegal Bangladeshi migrants.
"Where do the Bangladeshis come from. Bangladesh is not next to Karnataka. The Centre should stop the illegal migrants. Why are they letting Bangladeshis in Karnataka," he charged.
Yatnal welcomed the formation of the squad as he noted that illegal Bangladeshis pose serious security threat to India as they could be "underworld dons and terrorists" .
The MLA alleged that the state intelligence department has completely failed as they could not detect the actual number of Bangladeshis residing in the state.
"Over 25 lakh Bangladeshis are there in the state and they are involved in various kinds of crime. The way these Bangladeshis are burning Hindus alive in their country, that kind of situation should not arise in Karnataka," the Vijayapura MLA said.
He also charged that the police book cases against those who try to find out illegal Bangladeshis, a charge the minister rejected.
Yatnal also demanded protection to those who provide information as they should not be troubled. In reply, Reddy said, "let them provide information but they should not take law into their hands."
