Supreme Court asks NGT to hear plea relating to noise levels at Delhi airport

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the National Green Tribunal to consider any fresh plea that may be filed in relation to compliance of its 2024 directions to the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) on monitoring noise levels at runways of the Indira Gandhi International Airport here.

A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan passed the order while hearing an appeal challenging the NGT's decision refusing to issue further directions on noise pollution caused by the use of Runway No 29/11, which is used by over 50 per cent of flights at IGI Airport for arrivals and departures.

"We dispose of this civil appeal by reserving liberty to the petitioner herein to file a fresh application before the National Green Tribunal along with all supporting material so as to seek appropriate reliefs, including the reliefs which were sought earlier and granted by the NGT but which are not being implemented as yet by way of a mandamus," the bench said in the order.

It said if a fresh application is filed along with supporting materials, the NGT shall consider them as expeditiously as possible on its own merits and in accordance with law.

The top court was hearing an appeal filed by the Society for Protection of Culture, Heritage, Environment, Traditions and Promotion of National Awareness against the NGT's order of July 2024.

The NGT had observed that DIAL had already complied with its earlier order dated March 21, 2024.

In that order, the Tribunal had directed DIAL to install noise monitoring systems at different points around the airport and publish the data on its official website.

During the hearing in the top court, the petitioner said that while DIAL had installed five noise monitoring terminals, this was inadequate given that IGI Airport operates eight runways divided into 16 parts.

The counsel maintained that residents of Vasant Kunj and surrounding areas continued to face severe noise pollution, particularly from operations on Runway 29/11.