SC asks Centre to submit panel report on aircraft fumigation to prevent mosquito

IndiGo Airlines, which moved the top court against the NGT imposing blanket ban on spraying insecticides and pesticides in aircraft, claimed that the mosquito menace is prevalent at airports in Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, among others.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to submit the report of an expert committee tasked at finding out if spraying of insecticides or fumigating aircraft as a solution to mosquito menace was harmful for passengers. The apex court’s order came after additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati informed the bench that owing to the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, the committee was unable to submit the report. It had to be submitted in pursuance of the November 29, 2019, and February 7, 2020 orders.

The Supreme Court has asked the expert committee to find out what are the best ways of aircraft fumigation followed by other countries. (PTI)

The Centre has now taken time till September 7, 2021 to complete the exercise, the top court bench stated. “The Union of India shall apprise the Court of the report of the expert committee in the meantime,” the bench added.

The Supreme Court was hearing pleas against the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) ban of spraying disinfectants and pesticides in aircraft. The NGT had initiated proceedings based on an e-mail by US-based neurologist Dr Jai Kumar, who said that fumigation on planes with chemicals like phenothrin, an organo-phosphorus neurotoxin, was harmful for human beings. He claimed that these chemicals pose the risk of causing cancer and auto-immune diseases, including lupus, Parkinson’s disease and memory loss. Kumar further claimed that this practice solely exists in Indian airlines, and that all other airlines have ceased doing it.

Notably, the apex court had earlier said that it was not in favour of imposing a blanket ban and may permit it on certain routes where mosquito problem was prevalent to follow the practice, after the committee submits its report.

IndiGo Airlines, which moved the Supreme Court against the NGT ban, stated that several Indian airports are faced with mosquito menace, including in Kolkata, Patna, Delhi, Jaipur, Chennai, Raipur, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Dehradun, Lucknow and Pune.

The airlines also said that the blanket ban was keeping them from taking steps towards safety and protection of passengers, especially in monsoon season when vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue are abundant.

IndiGo further claimed that they have already received several complaints due to the issue, with some even filing cases against the company.

The apex court has directed the expert committee to find out if fumigation is injurious to human health, and what are the best practices followed by foreign airlines.

(With agency inputs)