NGT slams Delhi government, asks why Kotla match held

India's top environment court pulled up the AAP government on Monday for inadequate action on pollution and criticised authorities for holding the India-Sri Lanka Test in the city despite bad air quality.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had sought a comprehensive action plan on ways to deal with severe air pollution. On Monday, the Delhi government sought more time, but the tribunal said the report must be filed within the next 48 hours.

On Sunday, the match being played at the Feroz Shah Kotla had to be halted for 17 minutes after Sri Lankan players complained of poor air quality. Their coach Nic Pothas said players vomited, and oxygen cylinders had been kept in the dressing room.

"Every newspaper has been carrying headline that air pollution was going to be higher this week. Still you took no action. Even the players were playing match wearing masks. You should have not held the match if the air quality was so bad. Are people of Delhi supposed to bear this?" the NGT said.

It said that the pollution in the city has already reached alarming levels yet the government was adopting a lackadaisical approach in dealing with the situation.

"Where is your action plan? Why have you not submitted it? What can we do if you keep on changing everybody? It's not our problem if people don't want to stick to you. You keep on doing meetings but tell us a single action or step you have taken in the last four days to combat air pollution," the NGT said.

(With PTI inputs)