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Delhi Pollution: SC Raps Local Agencies, Says 'Someone Must Go To Jail'

The centre told the top court that 749 pollution complaints have been received through social media and over 3,000 through the 'Sameer' app.
Representative image.
Anushree Fadnavis / Reuters
Representative image.

The Supreme Court on Monday reprimanded the central government and local agencies over the dangerous levels of pollution in the Delhi-NCR region. It directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to prosecute government officials who who fail to take action against people and industries causing pollution in Delhi-NCR in violation of the law, reported The Times of India.

The centre informed the court that 749 pollution complaints were received through social media, reported NDTV. Over 3,000 complaints have been received through the "Sameer" app, a mobile application launched by the CPCB, the centre added.

Some complaints have been dealt with, said the government, but others are pending because they have to be addressed by local agencies.

The top court said that local agencies failing to address citizens' grievances is a grave concern and someone should be put behind bars, reported The Financial Express. "This is only option left," the court reportedly said.

The centre, according to The Financial Express report, replied that it will take action against such agencies.

On Monday, monitoring stations recorded the air quality in the "very poor" category in Delhi, PTI reported. The overall air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 320 — in the "very poor" category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Anand Vihar recorded "severe" air quality. The AQI in 23 areas was registered in the "very poor" category, while the situation was "poor" in 12 areas, according to PTI.

According to the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR), Delhi's air quality will remain in the "poor" category, amid a gradual increase in the pollution level, for the next two days.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.