The Delhi government informed the Supreme Court on Thursday that it has imposed a year-round ban on the manufacture, storage, sale, and use of all types of firecrackers, including online delivery.
This ban has been implemented with immediate effect across the national capital.
In contrast, the Haryana government stated that it would permit only green crackers, while Rajasthan reported a complete ban in its NCR areas. Uttar Pradesh, however, declined to impose a blanket ban on firecrackers.
Unified Ban for NCR Urged
A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih emphasized the need for uniformity across the NCR states. “The ban will only be effective if all NCR states take the same decision,” the bench remarked. The court directed Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to impose similar restrictions as Delhi to ensure consistency in pollution control measures.
This directive follows the Supreme Court’s December 12 order, which instructed Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to finalize their positions on prohibiting firecrackers throughout the year.
Intensified Air Pollution Measures
Amid worsening air quality, the bench ordered NCR states to strictly enforce the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-IV) measures. It directed states to form monitoring teams comprising police and revenue officials to ensure compliance.
“These teams will act as officers of the court and regularly submit reports on compliance and breaches to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for immediate action,” the bench stated.
Context of the Hearing
The case pertains to the alarming air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, which have necessitated urgent and stringent measures. GRAP-IV, the most severe stage of the action plan, is triggered when air quality worsens to hazardous levels, requiring a halt to specific industrial and construction activities and stricter pollution control measures.
The Supreme Court’s directives aim to harmonize anti-pollution efforts across NCR states while ensuring robust implementation of the measures needed to tackle the capital’s critical air quality challenges.
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