Delhi HC to hear on Wednesday plea seeking urgent steps to control air pollution

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court will hear on Wednesday a plea seeking urgent steps to control hazardous air pollution levels in the national capital.

While hearing the petition, Justice Sachin Datta said the prayers are in the nature of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and should be heard by the division bench having the PIL roster.

The plea will be listed for hearing on Wednesday before a bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.

The plea said the ambient air quality in Delhi has deteriorated drastically over the past several years, with AQI frequently entering the 'very poor', 'severe' and 'hazardous' categories, especially during winter.

The increased pollution has resulted in persistent and serious health issues among residents, including children, senior citizens and persons with pre-existing ailments, it said.

The petition has been filed by Greater Kailash-II Welfare Association, which has urged the court to order urgent, effective and scientific measures, both immediate and long-term, to control the city's air pollution.

The plea said the authorities, which remained "virtually inactive" as the air quality steadily deteriorated, chose to issue "Stage III - steps to be taken" only after the AQI had crossed its critical level.

The government confined itself to merely prescribing measures on paper without ensuring their actual implementation, it alleged.

"Such belated and cosmetic action, without any real or substantial on-ground measures till date, has resulted only in further delay, recklessly endangering the lives and health of the people and demonstrating a complete disregard for the seriousness of the present public health emergency," the plea said.

It said that the experts issued a "red alert" on November 21 warning that the air in Delhi had become "life-threatening", yet no commensurate, concrete or effective action was taken by the authorities.

The plea said several representations made to the authorities have been in vain.

The petition has arrayed the Delhi government, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Central Pollution Control Committee (CPCC), Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Police as the respondent parties.