NGT junks plea to promote 'anti-air pollution device' under 'Make in India'

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has refused to hear a plea seeking directions from the Centre to test the efficiency of a device claiming to capture ultra-fine particulates, including PM1 and PM2.5-1, and to declare it as a part of the "Make in India" and "National Clean Air Programme" initiative, if it qualifies for the requisite test and guidelines.

"We are unable to entertain such application. Role of the Tribunal is to adjudicate on substantial question of environment and not to test devices of commercial enterprises," the tribunal bench headed by its Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said in a recent order while disposing of the plea.

According to the applicant Mirza Mohammad Arif, he is an expert on the subject of control of air pollution and has invented 'POLRED', a device to control air pollution.

Arif claims POLRED is the first device in the world to capture ultra-fine particulate matter such as PM1 and PM2.5-1 and has been granted patent by more than 50 countries in addition to India.

The petitioner sought directions to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research's National Physical Laboratory to monitor and test the efficiency of the installed POLRED devices in the pilot project for four to eight weeks and submit a report to the NGT.

He also sought to direct the respondents to conduct a pilot project using the required number of POLRED units and direct if it qualifies the requisite test and guidelines.