Finding pollution in key cities rising at an alarming rate, the Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to the Centre and the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh for the enforcement of emission norms for vehicles.

A bench comprising justice Y K Sabharwal, justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice S H Kapadia passed this order as the Environment Pollution Control Authority suggested certain measures to improve air quality in the cities of Chennai, Banagalore, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Ahmedabad and Sholapur.

The EPCA sugested that the Union governmment "must be directed to ensure that the state governments implement the new in-use emission norms to reduce pollution there. The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways should be directed to develop central software for all Pollution Under Control Certification Centres leading to standardisation of format across the country and prevention of malpractices.

The EPCA also suggested that the Centre and state governments be directed to regularly conduct drives to identify grossly smoking vehicles.

"If any vehicle, which is grossly polluting, is found with a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate, then the state government must cancel the authorisation of the PUC Centre," it said.