The PIL also sought the top court’s direction to frame a time-bound National Action Plan and its immediate implementation.
Photo: ANI
Amid deteriorating air quality in Delhi and other parts of north India, a PIL has been filed before the Supreme Court, seeking to declare air pollution a “National Public Health Emergency”.
Filed by Luke Christopher Coutinho, wellness champion for the Prime Minister of India’s Fit India Movement, the PIL also sought the top court’s direction to frame a time-bound National Action Plan and its immediate implementation.
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Calling the air pollution crisis a direct threat to public health and environmental safety, the PIL stated, “The situation has reached a point where over 1.4 billion people are forced to inhale toxic air every single day.”
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The plea pointed out that the levels of PM 2.5 and PM10 in the top Indian cities, including the national capital Delhi, have consistently exceeded the limits prescribed by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), issued by the Central Pollution Control Board under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
It said that PM2.5 levels in several cities have been recorded at around 105 micrograms per cubic metre, which is nearly 20 times higher than the WHO safe limit of 5 micrograms per cubic metre.
The plea also highlighted the failure of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, the Environment (Protection) Act, and the National Clean Air Programme to curb air pollution.
“Air pollution is no longer just an environmental concern; it has become a complex industrial and policy challenge that demands coordinated, systemic intervention,” it added.
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