The Supreme Court on Friday gave a go-ahead to the Delhi government to resume the construction work of hospitals after the Delhi government filed an affidavit seeking the same.
The construction activities in Delhi are shut after air quality plunged to alarming levels. They were resumed by the Delhi government on November 22 in view of the improved air quality, but the top court revived the ban on November 24 in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).
In the affidavit, filed earlier in the day, the Aam Aadmi Party-led government informed the top court that it had started to revamp the hospitals and the construction of 7 new hospitals is underway to prepare for the third wave of the coronavirus. “But due to the construction ban, work has stopped,” it stated as it asked the top court to exempt construction work at hospitals from the ban.
“Work is being carried out in 19 government hospitals to provide better health infrastructure in the national capital for the benefit of patients,” the Delhi government told the court in the affidavit.
The affidavit was filed as the Apex court is hearing a plea seeking emergency steps to control the worsening air quality situation in the national capital.
The top court also expressed satisfaction over fresh steps by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). The committee has constituted an enforcement task force to monitor compliance with the anti-pollution measures. Earlier in the day, the commission also told the court that it has already constituted 17 flying squads to take punitive measures against violators and will increase the number to 40 in the next 24 hours.
On Thursday, the court pulled up the Delhi government over the lack of concrete steps to curb pollution. Hearing the case, the court also asked why it reopened the schools while it had asked the elders to work from home. On Friday, however, the court said it did not ask the government to shut schools; it only sought to know the reason why the government resumed physical classes, it said. As of now, physical classes have been suspended in Delhi starting from Friday.
The matter will now again heard by the court on December 10.