NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought Delhi government’s stand on whether masks for protection against Covid-19 were being manufactured and sold in accordance with the rules and regulations.
The court was hearing a plea claiming sale of sub-standard facial covers in the national capital. The PIL sought setting up of a regulatory body for determining the standards for manufacture and sale of masks, used for protection against COVID-19 infection, in the national capital. It also urged the court to direct the Delhi government to enforce the rules and regulations with regard to manufacture and sale of the masks.
The plea, listed before a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh, was opposed by Delhi government. The government’s standing counsel told the court that the standards for manufacture and sale have already been laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
The petitioner, an activist, contended that there was non-compliance of the rules and regulations in manufacture and sale of masks. The court sought the Delhi government’s stand on the limited aspect of implementation of the rules, regulations and standards. The court also asked the petitioner to point out the specific instances where there have been non-adherence to the rules, regulations and standards. With the direction, the bench listed the matter for hearing on June 4.
Not all masks offer safety
The petitioner has claimed that fashionable masks have become a trend. However, most of these are single layered and offer negligible protection