Redress class XII student’s eco concern in 30 days, HC tells pollution board

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) to look into a grievance raised by a class XII student in a public interest litigation (PIL) against the deterioration of the environment in and around Panipat city. The pollution board has been directed to decide on it within 30 days by passing a speaking order.

Soham Chhabra (16), a class XII student of Prayag International School, had filed the petition in the High Court through his father Amit Chhabra in which he stated that Panipat faces significant air and water pollution issues stemming from industrial activities, particular in the textile sector.

The petitioner said that the city is ranked as one of the most critically polluted industrial clusters in the country due to untreated discharge of toxic chemicals and sewage into the Yamuna river. The groundwater in some areas is contaminated with nitrates, fluorides and heavy metals. Hundreds of dyeing units are releasing untreated toxins into drains in Panipat.

Soham further submitted that scores of industrial units release untreated effluents directly on the roadside and in green belts.

He also mentioned that a continuous ambient air quality monitoring system (CAAQMS) has been installed by the HSPCB in Sector-18 -- a predominantly green area which is surrounded by trees and away from major industrial activity. But the air quality index (AQI) there was classified as “good” only on 17 days in calendar year 2024, highlighting the persistent poor air quality in the region.

The Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry on July 14 disposed of the petition with directions to Haryana State Pollution Control Board to look into the grievance raised by the petitioner within 30 days and to decide on the same by passing a speaking order.

Soham Chhabra told The Tribune that he has been working for a couple of years to save the environment. “I have made a group ‘Ecoengage’ on Facebook to save the environment, planted many saplings at various places and participated in special plantation drives organised by the school,” he said. A special app ‘Eco Sutra’ has been developed which is based on ancient Sanskrit ‘shlokas’, he said.