Air Pollution in Delhi: Plea filed before HC seeking Rs 15 lakh compensation, medical insurance

A petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking Rs 15 lakh as compensation and medical insurance of Rs 25 lakh in view of the poor air quality in the national capital. Justice Yashwant Varma Tuesday directed that the matter be listed for hearing on December 6 after the petitioner did not appear when the case was called on its turn.

“Please understand, (Delhi) high court is not a playground and you should desist from using it as one,” the judge told the petitioner, who appeared when the case was called for hearing once again in the end.

The judge also asked the petitioner to approach the Supreme Court if he was concerned with the air quality in Delhi as the issue is already being looked into by the apex court. The petitioner-in-person Shivam Pandey, a lawyer, submitted that his prayer was that he sought health insurance for himself from the Centre and Delhi government on account of the air quality. In his petition, he has also sought Rs 15 lakh as compensation for “specific and exemplary damages” caused to him.


He has contended that pollution is the root cause of various diseases as it severely affects human health. Air pollution specifically leads to adverse impacts on human health and results in chronic headache, eye irritation, skin irritation, problems in respiratory functions as well as associated morbidity, the petition has stated.

The plea has also claimed that air pollution can also cause serious lung diseases and cancer. It said the Supreme Court has already expanded the scope of Article 21 of the Constitution of India by holding the “Right to clean pollution-free environment” as a fundamental right. The petitioner has also prayed for a direction to the authorities to immediately seal the factories that are manufacturing firecrackers in the Delhi-NCR as well as the shops selling them.