New Delhi: National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change to clarify whether two key bodies—the apex committee on environmental health and the working group on environmental health—are still operational, and to place on record the minutes of their meetings. The direction came during a hearing on Jan 7, when the tribunal noted submissions by the amicus curiae that both bodies were constituted on Oct 13, 2016. The bench, headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, sought clarity on whether the committees continue to function or have been reconstituted since, and asked the ministry to submit records.
In an affidavit filed in 2023, the ministry had informed the tribunal that both bodies were operational. NGT had taken suo motu cognisance of media reports and research linking air pollution to adverse health outcomes, including anxiety and diabetes, citing two reports published by TOI titled “Feeling anxious? Toxic air could be to blame” and “Delhi, Chennai studies hint at pollution link to diabetes”. The ministry had told the tribunal it had set up an environmental health cell to address environmental health issues nationwide. “An apex committee under the co-chairmanship of secretary, DG, ICMR— with representatives from the ministry of health; ministry of labour; Public Health Foundation of India; Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR); Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer; and ministry of environment— provides guidance for formulating environmental health strategies, reviews activities on environmental health and provides guidance to the working group,” said the report. It added that a working group under the joint chairmanship of ICMR and ministry of environment—with representatives from Indian Institute of Toxicology Research; National Institute of Occupational Health; All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health; AIIMS and CCB—was constituted to identify thrust areas in environmental health and to evaluate environmental health projects. The matter will be heard next on Jan 20.
