New Delhi: A toddler, along with her mother and grandmother, on Friday approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) alleging noise and air pollution due to the activities of a reputed private school operating in a residential area, causing health problems to the residents.

The residents of Ashok Vihar Phase-IV have sought shifting of DAV Public School from the residential colony. They have also requested for direction to the ministry of environment and forest and various authorities, including the DDA and Delhi police, to restrain the institution from using loudspeakers, bell and whistles, amplifiers and drums.

After giving a brief hearing to the petitioners, a bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar issued notice to the ministry, Delhi police, the Central Pollution Control Board, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, DDA and the school on the plea.

The bench sought response of all the respondents on the plea and listed the matter for further hearing on March 8.

Advocate Isha Malhotra Chavan, representing the toddler, a 21-month-old girl, along with her mother Parul Sharma, claimed that due to the noise and air pollution caused by the school, she was suffering from irritability and sleep disorder.

Advocate Meena Chaudhary Sharma, Dr Sharma’s mother, argued that the residents have made several complaints to the police and the pollution board against the school’s activities but in vain.

“Beating of drums, blaring of loudspeakers, blowing of whistles in addition to bells is incessantly rung in full volume exceeding the permissible decibel limit of silence zone. The school has created a nuisance and residents are suffering from mental tension and other health problems,” she said.

Advocate Sharma, who appeared before the tribunal in a wheelchair, said she was a patient suffering from diabetes and disturbed sleep pattern and cannot rest in her house due to the noise coming from the school the whole day.

“The area is declared as silence zone due to presence of a school but the school itself is creating noise,” she said, adding that dust emanating from school’s playground causes air pollution.