March 21: The National Green Tribunal today warned the state government that it would "face serious consequences" if it failed to implement immediately the recommendations of a committee of experts on controlling air pollution.

"You (the state government) have to face serious consequences if non-compliance continues," the eastern zonal bench of the tribunal comprising Justice S.P. Wangdi and expert member P.C. Mishra told counsel for the state. "If Delhi can (control air pollution), why can't Calcutta?"

The bench issued the warning while hearing a petition by green activist Subhas Dutta.

"On August 11 last year, the bench had given the state government six months to implement the recommendations (to control air pollution) of an expert committee set up by the bench," Dutta said.

"More than seven months have passed but the government has not yet filed any action-taken report, which the tribunal had asked for."

The committee had recommended denial of fuel to vehicles without the pollution-under-control certificate and mandatory checking of such certificates of BS III vehicles entering the city, among other measures.

"None of the suggestions has been implemented. So, the government can't file an action-taken report," Dutta alleged.

"We are working on the committee's recommendations and will intimate the bench in due course," an environment department official said.

The bench also refused to accept an affidavit submitted by the state in response to another petition of Dutta on air pollution. In the petition, Dutta made some suggestions to combat the city's toxic air, such as stopping the practice of burning of tar and coal in the open during road repairs.

"It (the government affidavit) seems to be a budget lecture. We want a point-wise reply from the government," stated the bench and asked the transport and environment departments to file an "appropriate response" by April 27.

"We mentioned in our affidavit that the environment minister had already conducted a meeting with various government departments and agencies regarding controlling air pollution in the city but the bench wanted a more specific response, which we will submit the next day," government lawyer Bikash Kar Gupta said.