Delhi HC asks DoE to file report on minors' plea not to hold sports events during peak pollution time

New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Directorate of Education to file a status report on a plea by a group of school students seeking a direction to ensure that tournaments and trials for outdoor sports are not scheduled in the capital during the peak pollution months of November to January.

The high court also asked the School Federation of India Games (SFIG) to file a status report in the matter while observing that Delhi government's Directorate of Education (DoE) was shirking its responsibility.

The counsel for DoE submitted that primarily it is for the SFIG to change the calendar and if it does, DoE will also certainly amend its schedule.

"I am very sorry to say but you are shirking your responsibility. It is apparent from your submission. Do you recognise that in the months of November to January, there is a problem and that children should not be subjected to outdoor activities? You recognise that," Justice Sachin Datta orally told the counsel for DoE.

"The second aspect is you plan in a way from the future year, the next year, that there is minimal number or no fixtures during this period... As far as Delhi is concerned, you must start your games calendar immediately after the board exams. That is what you need to do," the judge added.

The court said whatever has happened this year, has happened, and the authorities must change their calendar from the next year.

During the hearing, the counsel for the petitioners apprised the high court that today the Supreme Court asked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to consider directing schools in Delhi-NCR to postpone open air sports competitions planned in November and December to "safer months" keeping in mind air pollution levels.

As the DoE's counsel said only a few sports are played in open and majority of games are played inside, the petitioner's lawyer said the authorities were being criminally negligent and that she was only asking to amend the calendar from the next year.

The court hearing the petition filed by 11 minors, through their parents, stating that they actively participate in state scheduled sports tournaments, camps and trials in Delhi and other parts of the country.

They said it is scientifically established and judicially noticed fact that Delhi faces an annual public health emergency during the winter months and the scheduling of the school, inter-zonal, state and national level sporting events in the city around this period is increasingly becoming a major health issue for children participating in such events.

It said year after year, authorities continue to conduct these outdoor sporting events at a time when Delhi's air quality is verifiably and foreseeably 'severe' and 'hazardous'.

This repeated scheduling forces children, recognised as a vulnerable group, to undertake strenuous physical activity in toxic air, violating their fundamental rights, the plea said, adding that during this period, the Air Quality Index (AQI) frequently remains in the "Severe" category.

It sought a direction to the DoE and SFIG to schedule the annual sports calendar (including all zonal, inter-zonal, state, and national tournaments, trials and coaching camps) for all outdoor sports in the capital during safer and less susceptible months with verifiably better ambient air quality.

The petitioners said at the time of filing the plea, the city was under the Grade Response Action Plan-III (GRAP-III) emergency plan and risked escalation to GRAP-IV.

It said such exposure causes "diminished growth of lungs", cognitive impairment and acute cardiovascular strain in children. PTI SKV ZMN