The Supreme Court Friday reserved its order on the central government's application for extending the deadline for scrapping diesel buses in Delhi and allowing alternative fuel. The bench headed by Justice B N Kirpal was hearing the arguments of the government and the court-appointed counsel to assist it, Harish Salve, for the past three days.
Salve rejected the government's claim that CNG was as hazardous as any other fuel and cited the experience of other cities in the world where it was being used with substantial lowering of the air pollution. The government itself had till recently agreed that CNG was safe.
He wanted the court to impose heavy cost on the government for defying the court orders time and again. Counsel requested the court to enforce the principle laid down by it that the polluter must pay for the damage caused to the people by its negligence.
According to him, if 800 CNG buses are introduced a month in the city, the court order would be complied within a few months. The bus manufacturers have adequate capacity to provide sufficient number of buses.
It was only the confusion created by the government by its policy statements and motivated expert reports which prevented the enforcement of the order, counsel said.
