A plea claiming sale of sub-standard masks was heard by the Delhi High Court on Thursday
A plea claiming sale of sub-standard masks for protection against COVID-19 infection was heard on Thursday by the Delhi High Court. The court sought the Delhi government's stand on whether facial covers were being manufactured and sold according to rules. The plea sought the 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 regarding the manufacture and sale of the masks. The plea, which was listed before a bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh, was opposed by Delhi government's standing counsel Santosh K Tripathi. He told the court that the standards for manufacture and sale of masks 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. After hearing both sides, the court sought the Delhi government's stand on the limited aspect of implementation of the rules, regulations and standards in connection with manufacture and sale of masks.
The court also asked the petitioner to point out the specific instances where there have been non-adherence to the regulations and standards. With the direction, the bench listed the matter for hearing on June 4.
The petitioner, Jai Dhar Gupta, has claimed that since the outbreak of COVID-19, wearing fashionable masks matching a person's attire has become a trend. However, most of these masks are single layered and offer negligible protection against COVID-19 infection.