Supreme Court seeks shifting of sports activities to pollution-safe months, orders allowance for construction workers
PTC News Desk: Amid rising air pollution in Delhi, the Supreme Court on Wednesday told the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to issue instructions asking schools to hold sports activities during cleaner months instead of now. The court said that letting children play outside in November and December, when pollution is at its worst, is like “putting them in a gas chamber.”
Meanwhile, the top court has also directed allowance for the construction workers in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan whose employment was halted due to ban on construction ban as part of enforcement of GRAP-3. The court directed the
The bench headed by CJI B.R. Gavai has also directed the governments of these states to implement preventive measures to reduce pollution and to ensure regular review of these measures.
The direction came after court-appointed advisor Aparajita Singh informed the judges that the Delhi government had planned inter-zonal sports events for under-14 and under-16 students during these highly polluted months. She said children are the most sensitive to pollution, and outdoor sports at this time could cause serious health problems.
This order comes two weeks after the Supreme Court asked the CAQM to explain what steps it had taken to stop pollution levels in Delhi-NCR from rising further. At that time, the court had stressed that authorities should act early and not wait for pollution to reach the “severe” category.
As Delhi’s Air Quality Index hit the severe level last week, the Amicus Curiae told the court that strong enforcement and real action were urgently needed to stop the worsening air pollution.
Expressing disappointment, Aparajita Singh said, “I have been working on this issue for 20 years. Governments keep changing, but nothing has improved on the ground.”
- With inputs from agencies
