The Supreme Court on Friday (December 13) disposed of a Public Interest Litigation seeking directions for the public and private sector oil companies to contribute under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) under the Indian Companies Act, 2013 to public transport services for a few heavily polluted cities to restore and compensate environmental damages occurring due to these companies’ fossil fuels.
The writ petition was filed by Dr. Sanjay Kulshretha, who also appeared as petitioner-in-person before a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and NK Singh. The petition states that the plea has been raised to reduce health hazards due to severe air pollution in Delhi and other polluted cities.
Before the Court, he said: “This air pollution has taken epidemic form in killing 21 lac people in India because of the fine particles. It is not only affecting all age-groups but also affecting the newborn and the foetus…All over the world, the most cost-effective means of reducing pollution is public transport system. Even rich countries are spending more and more money on public transport system.” LIve Law
