The Centre on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that it has constituted an eight-member expert panel to investigate whether spraying insecticides or fumigation to ward off mosquitoes in the aircraft is harmful to passengers, PTI reported. The Supreme Court gave the panel time till October 31 to submit a final report and suggest interim measures in the matter.

The Centre’s counsel informed a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Indira Banerjee that a notification on the modalities and working of the high-powered panel will be issued during the week. “After the committee suggests some interim measures on the issue, the Centre may file an application before the court to enable passing of appropriate orders,” the bench said. The Centre said that the panel will take a considered decision and inform the Supreme Court.

The eight-member panel will comprise the principal advisor (public health), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (chairperson), director of National Centre for Disease Control (member), director of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (member), representative of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (member) and head of epidemiology & communicable disease of Indian Council of Medical Research (member).

Senior Advocate Saurabh Kripal, appearing for Interglobe Aviation Ltd (Indigo Airlines) and others, told the Court that because of monsoon season interim measures need to be taken. The bench said that it was a policy decision that has to be taken by the Centre, however, the high-powered committee may suggest some interim measures as early as possible.

On July 2, the top court had asked the Centre to constitute a high-level panel to determine the benefits and hazards of spraying insecticides and fumigation in aircraft. It was hearing a plea against the National Green Tribunal’s ban on spraying of disinfectants and pesticides in the plane. The court had said that it was not in favour of a blanket restriction, and may allow it on some routes where the mosquito problem was prevalent.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had told the Supreme Court that spraying of disinfectants was not harmful and it was in accordance with guidelines of the World Health Organisation.

A United States based neurologist Jai Kumar had contended that spraying of pesticides on planes with chemicals like phenothrin, an organo-phosphorus neurotoxin, was injurious to human health as their use carries risk of causing cancer and auto-immune diseases like lupus, Parkinson’s disease and memory loss. He claimed that this practice was only prevalent in Indian flights. The green tribunal had banned this practice after Kumar pointed this out in an email.

Indigo Airlines refused to accept the ban and said the airports are affected by mosquito problems and due to the “blanket ban” they were not able to take any step for protection and safety of passengers.