New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a PIL seeking directions to the Centre to take immediate steps to control increasing air pollution in the national capital.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw, however, declined to give an urgent hearing on the plea, saying another bench of this court is already seized of a similar petition, so it will hear the issue along with the other.

"This matter needs consideration, so it will be taken up along with a similar petition," the court said, adding that some replies have also been filed in that petition, so it needs time to go through it.

The court has fixed the matter for further hearing on March 11. Sudhir Mishra, an advocate, filed a PIL, saying that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare should "formulate plans, policies and programmes to promote health care facilities by which the quality of human life and life expectancy is increased".

Air in Delhi is the most polluted in the world, according to World Health Organization (WHO). The report contained results of outdoor air pollution monitored in almost 1,600 cities in 91 countries, the petition said.

"The ever-increasing air pollution in the state is adversely affecting the image, habitability, prospects of trade and commerce, growth of tourism sector and health of the citizens of India residing or visiting Delhi, thereby inter alia, violating the fundamental right to life," it added.

It also sought directions to set up of a joint task force to implement strategies to monitor the levels of air pollution in Delhi and to take immediate effective measure to combat and reduce air pollution.

Another bench had taken suo motu cognizance of the issue after taking note of a report that said Delhi was the most polluted city in the world.

Source: IBN