Any study on impact of air pollution on people's health, SC asks Centre

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre whether any study has been conducted on the effects of air pollution on the health of people and the money spent by people on medical treatment of such ailments.

A bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Deepak Gupta said the cost of medical treatment is "exorbitant" in India and due to huge cost, it has become difficult for people to get medical treatment.

"The cost of medical treatment is exorbitant in India and people are not getting medical treatment because of the huge cost. The government has to do something about it," it said.

Appearing for the central government, Additional Solicitor General A.N.S. Nadkarni told the court that some study on the impact of air pollution on the health of people has been conducted and some studies are going on.

Hearing the PIL filed by environmentalist M.C. Mehta in 1985 on the issue of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the court asked the Centre to publicise various steps taken by it to deal with the issue of air pollution in order to make people aware of what is happening.

The Centre told the court that it has finalised a comprehensive action plan to tackle pollution in Delhi-NCR. "A comprehensive nationwide plan to tackle air pollution in other cities is also in last stages."

Earlier, the court had asked the Centre to look into the issue of air pollution on a nationwide basis and not confine it only to Delhi-NCR.

--IANS

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