Supreme Court Today (Sep 1) took up a case on noise pollution from Aircrafts at Delhi’s IGI Airport. Petitioners may now approach the NGT for speedy action.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India today heard a case concerning noise pollution caused by frequent aircraft take-offs and landings at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, New Delhi.
The matter came before a bench of Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice R. Mahadevan.
During the hearing, the counsel for the petitioner society highlighted the main issues regarding excessive noise in residential and sensitive areas near the airport.
The lawyer stated,
“We raised two concerns there are eight terminals and 16 noise-prone zones, but noise-cancelling measures have been installed in only five locations.”
After carefully listening to the submissions, the Supreme Court did not entertain the civil appeal further. However, the judges provided an alternative remedy.
The court said that the petitioner society has the option to file a fresh case before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The bench clarified that the petitioner is free to include earlier demands in the new plea. These include claims for mandamus relief (a legal remedy where the court directs authorities to perform their duty).
The Supreme Court also made an observation that the NGT should handle the case on priority and take a decision without unnecessary delay.
Explanatory Legal Table
| Law / Provision | Meaning in Simple Words | Relevance in This Case |
|---|---|---|
| Article 21 of the Constitution of India | Guarantees the Right to Life and also covers the Right to live in a clean and peaceful environment. | The petitioners argue that aircraft noise affects health and peaceful living, violating this right. |
| Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 | Central law giving powers to regulate pollution control, including noise pollution. | Used as the legal framework to challenge noise from flights and seek remedial action. |
| Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 (under Environment Act) | These rules fix permissible noise limits for different zones like residential, industrial, commercial, and silence zones. | The counsel pointed out that aircraft noise exceeds limits in 16 zones, and mitigation is inadequate. |
| National Green Tribunal (NGT) Act, 2010 | Establishes the NGT as a special court for environmental disputes. | Supreme Court asked the petitioner to move NGT with a fresh case for faster resolution. |
| Writ of Mandamus (under Articles 32 & 226 of Constitution) | A legal order by courts directing authorities to perform their legal duty. | The petitioner earlier sought mandamus to compel airport/authorities to install noise control measures. |
| Civil Appeal No. 11051/2025 | The unique case number before the Supreme Court. | Identifies this case: Society for Protection of Culture, Heritage, Environment, Traditions and Promotion of National Awareness (Regd.) Vs Union of India and Ors. |
CASE TITLE:
Society for Protection of Culture, Heritage, Environment, Traditions and Promotion of National Awareness (Regd.) vs Union of India and Ors.
Civil Appeal No. 11051/2025.
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