Supreme Court upholds firecracker ban in Delhi-NCR amid pollution concerns
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The Supreme Court on Thursday reaffirmed its decision to maintain the ban on the manufacture, storage, and sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR, citing persistently alarming air pollution levels.
A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan emphasised that air pollution poses a significant threat to public health, especially for those who work outdoors and cannot afford air purifiers at their homes or workplaces.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, the bench noted, “Numerous orders passed by this court over the past six months illustrate the severe air pollution crisis in Delhi... The Right to Health is a fundamental aspect of Article 21 of the Constitution, which also includes the right to live in a clean and pollution-free environment.”
The court stated that it would not reconsider the previous orders unless there was sufficient evidence proving that the pollution caused by so-called green crackers was negligible.
The Supreme Court reiterated that the ban was necessitated by an “extraordinary situation” arising from Delhi’s hazardous pollution levels.