Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding presence of heavy metals in Delhi air, 06/02/2025
Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of News Item titled "Heavy metals in PM 2.5 New Study reveals air quality concerns in East Delhi" appearing in the Times of India dated 29.09.2024.
The original application has been registered on the basis of the news item based upon the study conducted by the IIT, Delhi revealing detection of alarming levels of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, nickel in the air and further disclosing that in East Delhi District, chromium, copper, zinc, molybdenum and lead were the major heavy metals found in PM2.5.
The NGT, February 6, 2025 was not satisfied with the reply filed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the matter. The court pointed out that the report does not clearly reflect upon the monitoring of the heavy metals mentioned in the news article - chromium, copper, zinc and molybdenum and also not giving any reasons for not monitoring. The same is the case with the reply filed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) sought four weeks time to consider the issue and file a response.
The next hearing of the case has been scheduled for May 15, 2025.