Supreme Court Asks NGT To Decide Pleas Relating To Delhi Airport Noise Pollution

The Supreme Court today (September 1) directed the NGT to expeditiously decide any applications that may be filed before it relating to the issue of compliance of its 2024 directions to Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) to take steps to monitor noise levels at its runways. 

The bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R. Mahadevan was hearing a challenge to the NGT's order, which refused to issue specific directions on the issue of noise pollution created by the use of runway no. 29/11 at IGI Airport, affecting nearby residents of Vasant Kunj. Notably, more than 50% flights use the specific runway for arriving/ departing. 

The NGT bench of Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel passed the impugned order, observing that the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has complied with its previous directions of March 21, 2024. 

As per the directions of the order dated March 21, 2024, the NGT had directed DIAL to publish its noise levels on the official website after installing noise monitoring systems at different points. 

The counsel for the petitioner submitted that as per the previous measures taken, the Airport Authorities had installed the noise monitoring terminals on the runway. He added that while there are 8 runways at the IGI Airport, having 16 parts, but only 5 monitoring terminals have been installed. 

The bench noted that the present impugned order arises from an execution application that was filed before the NGT and not a fresh petition seeking mandamus. 

The Court permitted the petitioners to approach the NGT with a fresh case seeking previous reliefs too, which the NGT granted, but which were not executed.  The relevant part of the order reads : 

"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 being implemented as yet by way of a mandamus."

"It is needless to observe that if a fresh application is filed by the petitioner herein along with all supporting materials for the aforesaid purpose, the NGT shall consider the same as expeditiously as possible on its own merits and in accordance with law." 

Case Details : SOCIETY FOR PROTECTION OF CULTURE, HERITAGE, ENVIRONMENT, TRADITIONS AND PROMOTION OF NATIONAL AWARENESS (REGD.) Versus UNION OF INDIA AND ORS.| C.A. No. 11051/2025