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India’s Supreme Court has ruled that the continued sale and bursting of crackers in the capital after Diwali is contributing to severe air pollution, and that the Delhi government has failed to enforce the fireworks ban. criticized the police.
The court said that no religion promotes activities that cause pollution and that such actions violate the public’s right to health. Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masi said, “No religion promotes activities that cause pollution.”
Demanding “immediate action”, they directed the Delhi Police chief to strictly enforce the ban and notify manufacturers and sellers of firecrackers in the National Capital Region accordingly.
The newspaper questioned the state government for allowing people to stock up on firecrackers after the Hindu festival Diwali and for delaying the announcement of a ban that worsened air quality in the city.
Last month, the Delhi government announced a complete ban on the manufacture, sale, storage and use of firecrackers until the new year in a bid to combat deteriorating air quality in the capital.
Air pollution typically spikes in Delhi during the Christmas season, which begins in October.
After Dussehra festival in the second week of October, Delhi’s air quality index reached the ‘poor’ category with high levels of fine particulate matter and the risk of respiratory illnesses, eye irritation, asthma and severe lung disease. has increased.
The ban followed an initial announcement on September 9 that the use of firecrackers would not be allowed during upcoming festivals, including Diwali.
Delhi began banning fireworks during the festival season in 2017 following a Supreme Court inquiry into their impact on air quality.
In 2018, the court allowed only “green” firecrackers and banned traditional firecrackers. However, because it was difficult to distinguish between them, the city later decided to ban them entirely.
The ban is routinely ignored, and many people cite tradition and religious and cultural significance as reasons for continuing the practice of burning firecrackers during festivals.
The challenge of enforcing the ban is further complicated by the easy availability of firecrackers in the city.
The capital has long faced winter air quality hazards, often forcing the government to close schools early to protect children. Year-round pollution from vehicle exhaust and dust is even worse in winter when crop stubble burns in neighboring states. Low wind speeds trap pollutants, such as firecracker emissions, even closer to the ground, making the air particularly difficult to breathe.
After Diwali on October 31, Delhi once again became the world’s most polluted city as people continued to set off firecrackers despite the government’s ban.
The next day, Swiss company IQAir reported an air quality index of 348 for the city, classifying the air quality as “hazardous” for its 33 million residents.
A study published in June found that air pollution has killed 135 million people worldwide over the past 40 years, with India and China accounting for the majority of deaths.
