E-Paper
SC upholds NGT's cracker ban in regions with low air quality
The NGT banned the sale and use of firecrackers on December 1, 2020, in view of the “harmful effect of firecrackers on public health” and the pandemic.
The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the National Green Tribunal’s order banning the sale and use of all firecrackers during the Covid-19 pandemic in Delhi-NCR and elsewhere in the country where the ambient air quality is in the poor category or worse.
“We do not need a study by IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) to understand that firecrackers cause harm to our lungs,” the bench of justices AM Khanwilkar and Sanjiv Khanna said, countering an effort by the petitioners against the NGT order citing an IIT Kanpur study which said firecrackers had a minimal impact on Delhi pollution. This study said vehicular pollution, road dust, and industries are the major pollutants of Delhi air, besides stubble burning.
“Those who stay in Delhi during the festival of Deepawali know about its impact. We have come a long way since 2017 (when the SC ordered a cracker-free Diwali in Delhi) and we are now in 2021 when the pandemic is still on,” the bench added. The NGT banned the sale and use of firecrackers on December 1, 2020, in view of the “harmful effect of firecrackers on public health” and the pandemic.
Firecracker manufacturers and sellers moved the SC against the ban. The SC said the NGT order was fair, but clarified: “If the air quality improves, the authority may permit sale or use of firecrackers depending on the quality of air in that area.”
