SC: Prosecute officials fail to take action against polluters

NEW DELHI: Officials who fail to take action against Delhi NCR’s pollution complaints could soon face jail as the Supreme Court on November 26, 2018 asked the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to initiate prosecution against government officials who have not acted on 249 complaints received on its official social media and e-mail accounts with regard to pollution in Delhi.

A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said that the erring officials should be brought to book for conniving with the culprits. It said that such officials and government agencies should be prosecuted under Section 15 of Environment Protection Act, 1986, which provides for punishment for up to five years in jail.