The Supreme Court gave the Center a month to ban these methods.
New Delhi:
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Center to ban the use of tunnels for disinfecting, fumigation, spraying and ultraviolet rays on humans within one month in the fight against COVID-19.
The order of a bench led by Judge Ashok Bhushan came in response to a public interest dispute filed by law student Gursimran Singh Narula who sought to completely ban the use, production, advertising and l installation of disinfection tunnels. These tunnels involve spraying disinfectants on the people who pass through them.
The Center had previously informed the court that the use of disinfectant tunnels was not recommended and was clinically and psychologically harmful to humans. On September 7, the tribunal de grande instance asked the Center why it had not prohibited their use despite this stand.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had informed the court that the Department of Health had not issued any advice or guidance on the use of ultraviolet lamps for disinfection of humans for the management of COVID-19.
The Center, in its affidavit, argued that since public health and hospitals are a state matter, it is for the states / Union territories to implement the guidelines issued by the Department of Health of the Union, and the role of the Indian government was limited to providing the necessary advice and financial support.
He said that an expert committee meeting on June 9 reiterated that spraying individuals with disinfectants was not recommended because it will not decrease the infected person’s ability to spread the virus by droplets or by contact.
