The National Green Tribunal on Thursday asked the Delhi government to stop all protests at the Jantar Mantar area, which is located at the centre of the Capital city, PTI reported. The green panel said people living around Jantar Mantar had the right to live peacefully and comfortably in an atmosphere free from pollution.

The bench, headed by the tribunal chairperson Justice RS Rathore, also asked the New Delhi Municipal Council to remove all makeshift structures, loud speakers and public address systems from the stretch of the road near Connaught Place. The tribunal told the authorities to shift such programmes to an alternative site at the Ramleela Grounds in Ajmeri Gate area. It said the use of the area from now on would violate environmental laws.

The tribunal’s order comes on a plea that said the processions and agitations held by social groups, political parties and NGOs on the Jantar Mantar Road were a source of noise pollution in the area. It “violates the right to live in a peaceful and healthy environment, right to silence, right to sleep and right to life with dignity”, the plea said.

Protests at Jantar Mantar

Several scheduled and unscheduled protests take place at Jantar Mantar every day. Some recent ones include the agitation by Tamil Nadu farmers demanding drought relief funds and loan waivers, the “Not in My Name” protests against the recent lynching of Muslims and other incidents of communal and caste-based violence, protests following the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh, among others.