Delhi High Court Directs Centre and Others to Treat as Representation Plea on Covid Spread in Closed Spaces

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Friday, 6th August 2021

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Centre along with the Delhi government and others to treat a plea that warns against the likelihood of airborne spread of the Covid-19 infection in closed spaces that have air conditioning and no ventilation, as representation.

It has been directed by a bench comprising of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Singh that the representation will be decided as per policies and laws by the two governments, Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Delhi Development Authority, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Bureau of Indian Standards and Central Public Works Department as expeditiously as feasible and workable.

As per the court, this is an issue that needs the attention of an expert body and also a methodical preparation of policy that the body deems “appropriate”.

Chief Justice C J Patel said, “It is a larger issue. Your case is genuine. Have you gone to the government? We are giving them direction to decide.”

Advocate K C Mittal who was representing the petitioner Raja Singh, argued that despite the coronavirus infection “spreads like anything” in air-conditioned spaces, the concerned authorities failed to adopt necessary steps to stem the issue. The court was moved by the petitioner to make an intervention in the matter before the third wave of the pandemic hits.

The petition that was filed through advocates Yugansh Mittal and Amit Shahi, Singh maintained that buildings that are air conditioned need to provide for fresh air changes to cut down the possibility of the spread of COVID-19 virus through airborne route.

The petition read, “...dilution ventilation diffuses the concentration of the droplets as such minimizing the probability of infection. It is stated that the dilution of air is easiest in open air.”

The petitioner also stressed that ventilation and using air conditioners with open windows or proper dilution ventilation could provide a likely solution.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source:

NDTV