Delhi Schools Holding Sports Activities Amid Air Pollution Bypassing Court Order : Amicus Curiae Tells Supreme Court

Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, the amicus curiae in the Delhi air pollution matter, informed the Supreme Court today that many schools in Delhi-National Capital Region are finding ways to circumvent the Court's direction that open sports activities must not be held during November-December.

"In spite of that direction, during this severe pollution, they found ways and means to have these sporting activities. So now children are also not being spared. What has been prohibited by your lordships, those very activities are taking place," she told a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.

She added that the Commission for Air Quality Management has also issued a notification barring sporting activities during this period. "CAQM has taken out a notificaiton saying that the Supreme Court has ordered that children cannot play outdoors. But they have found ways and means to bypass the orders," she said.

While agreeing to take up the matter the day after tomorrow, CJI said that the Court should only pass orders which are enforceable.

"If the problem is there, then what is the practical solution and what kind of directions which can be given, we should only issue such directions. Otherwise, they are likely to say, if we pass an order, either they are unable to comply with it, or people don't understand the sensitivity of it. We have to find solutions to both problems. See, one is enforcement. There are certain directions which can be possibly be enforced. People will have to adapt to those conditions. They have to modify and change their lifestyles. In big cities, people have their own lifestlye which is difficult to change," CJI Kant said.

CJI also said that the impact on poor people will have to be seen. The amicus informed that with the enforcement of GRAP-IV measures, construction workers are now left without work.

CJI also told the other lawyers, who have filed applications in the MC Mehta case, to point out their issues and suggestions to the amicus. "Don't try to file applications only for media purposes. Court time is limited."