Supreme Court directs UP, Haryana to impose complete ban on firecrackers

Amid continuing air pollution crisis, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a complete ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR until further orders.

After the counsel for Delhi and Rajasthan Governments said that it has ordered a complete ban on firecrackers, a Bench led by Justice AS Oka directed the Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments also to impose a complete ban on firecrackers in NCR areas until further orders.

The Supreme Court had on December 12 asked the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to spell out their respective stand on banning firecrackers in the National Capital Region throughout the year.

“The issue regarding ban on use of firecrackers in NCR states is yet to be addressed. We direct the concerned state governments to place their decisions regarding complete ban on the use of firecrackers throughout the year,” the Bench had said, adding the ban was required not only to curb the air pollution but noise pollution as well.

Currently, such a ban is in place only around Diwali and New Year.

Noting the Delhi Government had enforced a complete ban on the manufacture, storage and sale, including delivery of firecrackers through online marketing round the year with immediate effect, the Bench said, “We are of the view that this ban will be effective only when other states forming part of NCR region impose similar measures. Even the state of Rajasthan has imposed a similar ban in that part of State of Rajasthan which falls in NCR regions. For the time being we direct the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to impose a similar ban which is imposed by the state of Delhi.”

The Bench was informed that GRAP IV was enforced in Delhi-NCR again due to the worsening air quality.

It directed the NCR states to constitute teams of officials to ensure strict compliance with the anti-pollution measures under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

“We say this that the members so created in this team will work as officers of this court. They will regularly submit reports of compliance and breaches to the Commission for Air Quality Management so that immediate action is taken by all concerned,” it said, while hearing a PIL filed by lawyer-turned environmental activist MC Mehta in 1985.