The court's remarks highlighted that access to reasonably clean air should be affordable for all citizens.

Delhi High Court Tells Govt: Cut GST on Air Purifiers as Pollution Hits Dangerous Levels

On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court criticised the government’s handling of the ongoing air pollution crisis in the capital and openly questioned the logic of levying 18 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) on air purifiers at a time when clean air has become a public health emergency. The bench observed that “every citizen requires fresh air” and said that if authorities cannot ensure clean air,at least they could reduce the GST on devices that help people breathe safer air.

The court, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition, highlighted the alarming air quality in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), where the Air Quality Index (AQI) has repeatedly recorded levels ranging from ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’, signalling pollution levels that threaten respiratory health.

Advocate Kapil Madan filed the PIL and urged the court to direct the Central government to classify air purifiers under the category of “medical devices” as per the Medical Devices Rules, 2017. Such reclassification would reduce the GST rate from the current 18 per cent slab to 5 per cent, consistent with other essential health devices.

Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela questioned why life-saving devices like air purifiers should be treated as luxury items when millions of residents are forced to use them daily amid hazardous air conditions. The court’s remarks highlighted that access to reasonably clean air should be affordable for all citizens.

Delhi’s air quality woes have led authorities to repeatedly enforce the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the pollution control mechanism that triggers restrictions on transport, construction, and industrial activities at various AQI thresholds. At present, Delhi-NCR is under Stage IV of GRAP, reflecting sustained poor air quality.

According to legal experts and environmentalists, the court’s intervention adds momentum to broader calls from citizens, trade bodies, and environmental advocates for fiscal and policy measures that can offer relief to vulnerable populations and make essential pollution-mitigating technologies more affordable.

Source: Hindustan Times