Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
The Supreme Court (SC) ordered the Centre to explain the reason behind banning just three pesticides in the country. The bench comprising chief justice DY Chandrachud on March 27, 2023, was hearing a petition seeking a ban on harmful pesticides in India.
The apex court had directed the Centre to file an affidavit “explaining the basis on which action has been taken presently only with respect to three pesticides in the notification dated February 2 2023”.
The SC also directed the Centre to submit the final reports filed by the committees chaired by SK Khurana and TP Rajendran.
The SC, on March 28, directed the additional solicitor general of India to submit the details regarding the qualification and experience of the members of the cheetah task force.
The direction comes after Sasha, the ailing Namibian cheetah in Kuno National Park, died due to renal failure. Following Sasha’s death, senior advocate Prashanto Chandra Sen said the task force appointed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change does not have any experts in cheetah management.
The SC stayed the demolition of three night shelters at Geeta Ghat and any other temporary shelter in Delhi without its permission. These three cater to certain special categories of homeless, such as individuals afflicted with tuberculosis, the orthopedically disabled and persons with mental health conditions.
The SC directed the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to submit a plan for creating alternative shelters instead of those demolished at the behest of the Delhi police, Delhi Development Authority or any other agency.
The SC was responding to a petition on March 28. The applicants had approached the SC when a temporary night shelter at Sarai Kale Khan was dismantled. In response to this, DUSIB said three other temporary shelters in the vicinity of the demolished shelter can accommodate its residents. This has been contested by the applicant, stating that DUSIB had demolished eight more temporary night shelters during the pendency of these proceedings.
The SC noted that the DUSIB and the authorities have no proposal to put up any fresh shelters instead of those demolished. Instead, the authority argued there was sufficient capacity in other permanent shelters.
A committee appointed by the apex court observed that various night shelters here lack basic facilities such as blankets, sheets, mattresses, drinking water, sufficient lockers, lights, provision for complaints, vector control mechanism, proper ventilation provision, first aid kits, pillows, etc.
The SC gave the Centre eight weeks time to file its reply on the matter regarding the establishment of community kitchens all over India.
The court, on March 27, was hearing a petition filed by social activists Anun Dhawan, Ishann Dhawan and Kunjana Singh, seeking subsidised canteens in all states to ensure food security and fight malnutrition.
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