Delhi HC asks DGCA to ensure strict compliance of Covid-19 SOPs

On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to make its guidelines widely known so that strict adherence can be ensured. A single-judge bench of Justice C Harishankar in his direction to the DGCA said that the authorities have to ensure that all the airlines must follow the guidelines strictly and should make sure that "no laxity creeps into the system." The court added that if the airlines and the authorities fail to ensure strict compliance, then strict action will be taken against them in accordance with the law. 

Delhi High Court directs DGCA to ensure strict compliance

The single-judge bench stated, "The DGCA is directed to reflect, forthwith, on its website, prominently, the instructions containing the guidelines and protocols to be followed by passengers and in-flight crew in domestic flights. This shall be reflected on the main website of the DGCA, without requiring the person accessing the site to navigate through various links to reach the instructions, or to the web link through which they can, by a single click, be accessed, in accord, by displaying them in a distinct and different font, blinking or otherwi9se, or by any other suitable means."  

After witnessing an alarming situation on March 5 on an Air India flight in which people were flying from Kolkata to Delhi, the Delhi High Court took suo moto cognizance of the case. In its statement, the court said, "To the perception of the court, such a situation, in the present scenario, when the country is seeing a resurgence of Covid-19 cases after they had shown sign of ebbing, is completely unconscionable." 

'No government can help', says Delhi High Court to passengers

As members of a conscious and conscientious citizenry, each of us is expected to be equally sensitive and sensitised to strain every sinew to keep the pandemic at bay. No government, no matter how enabled and aware of the situation, will help if citizens become complacent. The bench asserted, "It is a matter of common knowledge that being within arm's length distance of Covid carrier, even if he is asymptomatic and is merely speaking, is more than sufficient to transmit the virus." The bench added, "It is the duty of each of us to contribute towards this end. Pointing fingers at the central and state governments, who have formidable tasks to deal with, and are doing all they can, is of no use whatsoever. Each of us members of the conscious and conscientious citizenry is required to be sensitive and sensitized in equal measure, and to strain every sinew to keep the pandemic at bay. If the citizenry becomes complacent, no government, howsoever activated and alive to the situation, can help."