National Green Tribunal constitutes committee for examining air pollution around AIIMS

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) at Delhi has  constituted a joint committee consisting of seven-member for investigating and controlling the air pollution which is present  around the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

A bench of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice  Sudhir Agarwal, along with an expert member Prof. A Senthil Veil have given the order on an application against the failure of statutory and administrative authorities for controlling the air pollution, causing harm to the health of indoor and outdoor patients, doctors, and staff of AIIMS.

As per the Advocate Damkewala,the applicant, has briefed the tribunal that reason for significant   pollution around AIIMS Delhi is due to the number of hawkers, shopkeepers, and vehicles in that area. She pointed out that these elements are not only obstructing the movement of ambulances but also encroaching pavements. 

The advocate added that the absence of an adequate green belt in the area has prevented  is absorption of dust and carbon dioxide emissions, which is crucial to maintaining air quality within prescribed limits. She also highlighted the lack of proper measures to handle garbage and bio-medical waste scientifically.

Talking further on the case,advocate presented photographs of encroachments and articles describing the adverse impact of air pollution,along with mentioning the pollution level during November and December, as recorded by three AAQ monitoring stations – Sirifort, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, and R.K. Puram – were in the ‘severe’ category.

The  NGT after giving due consideration to constituted the committee.

The Committee will be headed by the Member Secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and will include other members such as DCP (Traffic), area Divisional Forest Officer, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, and Director of AIIMS or their nominee, and a nominee of Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital. 

The Committee will verify and submit its factual report with recommendations for short-term and long-term measures to control air pollution, including traffic regulation, shifting to battery-operated vehicles, removal of encroachments and hawkers, dense plantations, noise and dust control measures, and water sprinkling. 

The Member Secretary of DPCC and Director of AIIMS or their nominee will jointly be the nodal agency for coordination and compliance. 

The Committee will have to submit its report to the NGT within one month.