NEW DELHI: Several minor petitioners have approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stop to outdoor sports trials and tournaments for schoolchildren between November and January, arguing that winter smog has turned competitive sports into a serious health hazard.
Filed through their guardians, the petition states that every year zonal, inter-zonal, state and national-level outdoor events are held precisely when Delhi’s air quality is “severe” and “hazardous”.
This repeated scheduling, they argue, forces children — medically recognised as a vulnerable group — to undertake strenuous physical activity in toxic air, violating their fundamental rights under Articles 21 and 21A of the Constitution.
The plea notes that Delhi undergoes an annual public-health emergency between November and January, with the air quality index frequently remaining in the “severe” range. At the time of filing, the city was already under the GRAP-III emergency regime, with a possible escalation to GRAP-IV, the petition states.
To highlight the risks, the plea relies on expert advisories from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the World Health Organisation and scientific studies documenting the effects of prolonged exposure to airborne pollutants. Such exposure, it warns, leads to “diminished lung growth”, cognitive impairment and acute cardiovascular strain in children.
The petitioners argue that authorities cannot plead ignorance of the recurring pollution crisis. They cite a November 2023 order of the Directorate of Education suspending all sports activities due to “threats to the health and security of students”. However, that suspension was later withdrawn, and events continued to be scheduled in the same high-risk months. This conduct, they say, is arbitrary, negligent and violates children’s rights to clean air, health and education.