Complete ban on firecrackers in NCR, says SC
Amid continuing air pollution crisis, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a complete ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR till 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.
“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. The Delhi government had enforced a complete ban on the manufacture, storage and sale, including delivery of firecrackers through online marketing with immediate effect.
