Plea seeking ban on landing, take-off at Delhi airports at night: NGT allows DGCA, AAI to file objections

The National Green Tribunal has allowed the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and others to file their objections within two weeks to the maintainability of a plea seeking directions for prohibiting landing and take-off at airports in the national capital at night. The NGT was hearing a petition which sought directions to ban landing and take-off, except for international flights, at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and all other airports located within the city limits from 10 PM to 6 AM due to noise pollution.

A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel in a recent order said, "Counsel appearing for the respondents seeks time to file preliminary objections about the maintainability of the Original Application (OA). Let the same be done within a period of two weeks."

The respondents in the matter include the union government, Airports Authority of India (AAI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Delhi International Airport Ltd and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).


During the proceedings, the petitioner's counsel referred to the union government's Environment (Protection) Amendment Rules which provided for ambient air quality standards regarding the "noise" in "Airport Noise Zone".

"Counsel seeks time to examine as to what is meant by 'Airport Noise Zone' and which are the areas near the IGI Airport covered by the Airport Noise Zone and produce the material in this regard," the bench said.

Allowing his prayer, the bench posted the matter for November 22 for further proceedings.