‘Every kid having breathing problem’: Delhi HC rebukes authorities as city's air quality tops global pollution list

Delhi High Court has directed the forest department to take measures to improve the capital's air quality as children suffer from asthma due to polluted air.

The Delhi high court issued a directive on Wednesday, stating that the forest department bears responsibility for the capital's air quality and must take measures to improve the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the region.

A man sitting in a boat feeds seagulls on the Yamuna River in Heavy smog as Air pollution rises in Capital/NCR in New Delhi, India, on Thursday, November 2, 2023. ((Photo by Raj K Raj/ Hindustan Times))

Justice Jasmeet Singh, in addressing matters related to establishing an alternative forest in Delhi and filling vacancies within the department, noted that children were suffering from asthma due to inhaling polluted air. The court expressed concern that encroachment was taking place in the ridge area, considered the lungs of the national capital, right under the nose of government officials.

‘Every kid is having breathing problem’

The court instructed the principal secretary of the forest department to expedite the process of filling vacancies and said, "You are responsible for quality of air we breathe. It is your obligation to ensure AQI comes down."

"Every kid is having breathing problem. (In) December-January, people have to travel out when it is the best time to be here," the court said.

The court emphasised that the residents of Delhi have a fundamental right to clean air to breathe, and greenery plays a crucial role in achieving this.

Several areas within the city such as Nehru Nagar (402), Sonia Vihar (412), Rohini (403), Wazirpur (422), Bawana (403), Mundka (407), Anand Vihar (422), and New Moti Bagh (435), experienced a drastic dip in air quality, plunging into the 'severe' category.

Delhi is the most polluted city in world | Top 15 here

With AQI levels exceeding 400, New Delhi and Lahore in Pakistan topped a real-time list of the world's most polluted cities compiled by the Swiss group IQAir on Thursday. Mumbai and Kolkata also appeared among the world's 15 most polluted cities.

1. Delhi, India- AQI US 472

2. Lahore, Pakistan - AQI US 267

3. Baghdad, Iraq- AQI US 173

4. Beijing, China- AQI US 173

5. Istanbul, Turkey- AQI US 156

6. Karachi, Pakistan - AQI US 156

7. Jakarta, Indonesia - AQI US 156

8. Hanoi, Vietnam - AQI US 152

9. Shenyang, China - AQI US 151

10. Dhaka, Bangladesh - AQI US 151

11. Mumbai, India - AQI US 137

12. Chengdu, China- AQI US 134

13. Doha, Qatar- AQI US 132

14. Kuwait City, Kuwait- AQI US 117

15. Kolkata, India- AQI US 112

Air pollution sparks concern amid World Cup

The deteriorating air quality has raised concerns for the cricket World Cup as fans attend matches in various Indian cities. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently banned fireworks displays during the remaining matches of the tournament as a measure to combat pollution.

Players have expressed their worries about the toxic air, with England's Joe Root complaining of breathing difficulties during a game and India's captain Rohit Sharma advocating for change for the sake of “future generations”.