The National Human Rights Commission is an institution meant to safeguard our fundamental rights, including the right to life and health. But air quality around it continues to endanger both.
In 2022, the NHRC took suo motu cognisance of India’s growing air pollution crisis. This came after several media reports highlighted findings from an external survey, which revealed that air pollution is one of the gravest threats to human health in India – cutting average life expectancy by 5 years nationwide, and by a staggering 9.7 years for residents of Delhi. (See Dataful’s data on day-wise AQI in Delhi and other major cities here.)
Subsequently, the NHRC also issued a notice to the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, demanding a detailed report. The notice sought updates on the implementation and progress of the National Clean Air Programme, which was launched in 2019.
During a visit to the NHRC office on Monday, the situation appeared largely unchanged. The nearest air monitoring station pegged the AQI as 141 or in the ‘poor’ category.
Watch.
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