A group of school children has recently filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Delhi High Court seeking the rescheduling of outdoor sports events away from the peak air pollution months of November to January.
Details of the PIL
- Petitioners: A group of school children who actively participate in state and national level sports activities.
- Respondents: The Delhi government and other authorities.
- Core Argument: Continuing to schedule strenuous outdoor physical exertion during periods when Delhi’s air quality is routinely “severe” or “hazardous” puts students at serious, irreversible health risk, including potential lung damage. The plea argues this violates their fundamental right to life and health under Article 21 of the Constitution.
- Requested Relief: Directions to the Delhi government to revise its annual outdoor sports calendar and shift all tournaments, trials, and coaching camps to months with safer ambient air quality.
- Court Proceedings: The Delhi High Court has taken up the matter and urged the postponement of current open-air sports. The Supreme Court, which is hearing related air pollution cases, also asked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to consider directing schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) to move these activities to safer months.
Other Related Petitions
In addition to the students’ plea, a wellness expert, Luke Christopher Coutinho, recently filed a separate PIL in the Supreme Court (which was later requested to be converted to an intervention plea in a pending case) seeking to declare air pollution a “national public health emergency” and make air quality targets legally binding with penalties for non-compliance.