Supreme Court Enforces Strict Firecracker Ban to Combat NCR Pollution

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a directive to the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana to enforce an uncompromising ban on firecrackers within the Delhi-NCR region, to curb alarming pollution levels.

A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan instructed the states to issue directives under the Environment Protection Act, prohibiting the manufacture, sale, storage, and online delivery of all firecrackers. The court emphasized the importance of adherence to these orders and warned that non-compliance could lead to contempt proceedings.

The directive follows the Supreme Court's previous refusal to relax restrictions on firecrackers due to persistent air pollution concerns. It highlighted that air pollution adversely impacted street workers who couldn't afford air purifiers, reiterating that only stringent implementation across NCR, including parts of Rajasthan, would make the ban effective.

(With inputs from agencies.)