NHRC issues advisory to Centre, States on reducing impact of pollution on human rights

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday said it had issued an advisory to the Centre and State Governments on preventing, minimizing, and mitigating the impacts of environmental pollution and degradation on human rights.

Issuing the advisory, a statement from the Human Rights Panel said that in spite of having one of the world’s best statutory and policy frameworks for environment protection, India is experiencing a serious problem of air and water pollution and ecological degradation causing impediments in the enjoyment of basic human rights.

NHRC secretary-general Devendra Kumar Singh had written to the secretaries of the Union Ministries/Departments concerned, State Chief Secretaries, and registrars of High Courts to implement the recommendations and send action-taken reports within three months.

The advisory focuses on the punishment of polluters; prevention and mitigation of vehicular pollution, High Courts should establish Special Environmental Courts and ensure a speedy trial, and transparent processing of approvals and clearances under environmental laws.

“The Union and State governments should make efforts to ensure effective and expeditious punishment of polluters and violators of environmental laws. These efforts should include strengthening of Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) and other regulatory authorities,” the NHRC said.

Chairing the Commission’s first Core Advisory Group meeting on Environment, Climate Change, and Human Rights on 23rd March 2022, NHRC Chairperson, Justice Arun Mishra, had expressed serious concerns over the degrading environment and said that despite rules and laws, the ground situation was not improving.