Ghaziabad: Environmentalists welcome Supreme Court’s decision to ban sale of crackers on Diwali

Mittal said the agencies have basically failed to control the air pollution near construction sites and also the dust on roads and highways.

The environmentalists and residents associations have welcomed the move taken by the Supreme Court with regard to the ban on sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR region. However, the residents said that polluted surroundings persist even during non-Diwali season.

Agencies have basically failed to control the air pollution near construction sites and also the dust on roads and highways. (HT File)

“The decision by the apex court was much needed as pollution levels in Ghaziabad remain high throughout the year. People purchased firecrackers like anything and burst them till early morning the next day of Diwali. Breathlessness, suffocation and other respiratory issues follow as a result,” said Alok Kumar, president of president of federation of association of apartment owners.

As per the air quality index bulletin by the Central Pollution Control Board, the PM10 levels were recorded at 302 micrograms per cubic metre at 4pm on September 9. This was graded “very poor” as it could cause “respiratory illness on prolonged exposure.” The standard limit for PM10 is 100 mpcm.

“I was planning to shift my three year old son to some other location before Diwali. He suffered major respiratory ailment during last Diwali and he had to be hospitalised and put under medical treatment for more than a month. The court order is a major relief but the agencies must act tough on daily pollution creating conditions like burning of garbage, industrial wastes and growing number of vehicles,” said Vikrant Sharma, an environmentalist based at Raj Nagar Extension.

Most residents from Kaushambi, located next to ISBT Anand Vihar, also welcomed the apex court’s order to ban the sale of firecrackers on Diwali.

“We are already contesting a petition to reduce air pollution in our area against Ghaziabad agencies. The court has taken a wonderful decision as pollution levels rise 8-9 times during Diwali and post Diwali. The hazy conditions persist for 4-5 days. People are now more concerned about their health rather that spending money on bursting crackers,” said VK Mittal, president, Kaushambi Apartment Residents’ Welfare Association (KARWA).

Mittal said the agencies have basically failed to control the air pollution near construction sites and also the dust on roads and highways.

“These conditions need to be curbed on daily basis to bring more relief to residents on a daily basis. Otherwise, the pollution levels more or less remain high in Ghaziabad,” he added.

According to the figures of Uttar Pradesh pollution control board, the post-Diwali pollution levels of PM10 were recorded at 720 mpcm at Model Town station and 910mpcm at Vasundhara monitoring station. The figure for Vasundhara was highest since 2013.

“The court may have taken a judicious decision while keeping in mind the pollution levels. However, the ban should be extended to all festivals and not just diwali. It should be applicable even for the wedding season as well to help bring down pollution levels,” said Jaipal Singh, a resident of Vasundhara.