New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Tuesday orally observed that with "changed circumstances" in the national capital, BJP's win in the Delhi Assembly elections may see the smoother implementation of measures to clean the Yamuna River.
Two weeks ago, another bench of the apex court had orally remarked that after the change in guard, the tussle between the Centre and the Delhi government might have ended but it does not mean it would result in a solution to the issue of air pollution.
Today, the matter came up before a bench led by Justice B R Gavai. Amicus curiae Meenakshi Arora informed the bench, also comprising Justice A G Masih, about the background of the matter before it 'In Re Remediation of Polluted Rivers'. In 2021, the apex court took suo motu cognisance of river pollution and had been passing periodic orders.
The bench was apprised about the past disputes between Haryana and Delhi, in connection with the sharing of the river water and also water contamination and pollution. Justice Gavai remarked: "Now with a change of government all disputes might get solved…In changed circumstances, there may be better implementation possible".
Currently, all the states through which river Yamuna passes - Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh - have BJP governments. The bench noted that earlier the National Green Tribunal was monitoring issues pertaining to the water quality of Yamuna and passing periodic orders. The bench said after the apex court's suo motu cognisance, the tribunal has stopped monitoring and also disbanded its committees.
The bench led by Justice Gavai asked the Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to apprise the court regarding the other issues related to River Yamuna, which were pending before different benches of the top court. The bench suggested that it would club all the cases together and they may be heard by it or transferred to the green tribunal.
On February 13, 2025, during the hearing on the air pollution issue, a bench led by Justice A S Oka, in a lighter vein, remarked, "That's the practical aspect of it. They may not be fighting, that does not mean they will be proactive". Bhati, representing the Centre, had then contended that she was optimistic that there would be no confrontation. In 2021, the apex court registered the suo moto case after the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had accused Haryana of discharging pollutants into the Yamuna.
