As the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi and its neighbouring states continued to remain in a severe category, the Supreme Court has directed the Central Government to explore the feasibility of the implementation of hydrogen-based Japanese technology as a permanent solution to the rising pollution problem in the National Capital Region. The court has issued a directive to the Centre to quickly come up with its finding and report to the court with its findings on December 3.
The bench which comprises of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and CJI designate S A Bobde said since Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has himself brought to the court’s notice a technology which is the outcome of a research by a university in Japan, the Centre will explore the feasibility of using it in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other parts of north India.
The bench said that in the wake of the rising pollution in the National Capital Region there is an immediate need for a permanent solution to the problem. Mehta told the bench that a university in Japan conducted research keeping in view the air pollution in the NCR region and northern India. According to him, this innovative research can be used by the government to combat air pollution.  The court also said there are similar matters pending before other benches and they can be amalgamated for the hearing.
Though hydrogen fuel-cell cars may seem a viable alternative to Delhi’s air pollution problems, implementing this technology on a large scale might be a huge task. Our country has only started warming up to the idea of electric vehicles. And we are still a long time away from implementing EVs at a large scale in India. Hydrogen-fuel cell technology is a lot more complicated and expensive than the technology used on battery electric vehicles.
In a separate matter, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Delhi government on a plea challenging the odd-even road rationing scheme in the national capital. A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta also directed the Delhi government and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to place before it the data of pollution in Delhi from October till November 14 this year. The bench also directed them to submit pollution data from October 1 to December 31, 2018.
Inputs: PTI
