The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana Governments to impose a complete ban on firecrackers until further orders. The Delhi Government has also imposed a round-the-year ban on firecrackers in the National Capital.

The SC has also ordered the states falling in the National Capital Region (NCR) to constitute teams of various officials to ensure strict compliance with the anti-pollution measures under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).  

During the hearing, Senior advocate Shadaan Farasat, appearing for the Government, conveyed this to a Bench of Justices AS Oka and AG Masih hearing the question of air pollution in the National Capital. He emphasised that for this measure to be effective, neighbouring NCR states must adopt similar bans, as firecrackers could still be brought into Delhi from those states.

“We are of the view that this ban will be effective only when other states forming part of the 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 said.

The Bench was informed that while Haryana had permitted the use of green crackers, Rajasthan had imposed a complete ban on firecrackers in the areas falling within the NCR. The Bench further stated that such a ban would be effective only if other NCR states imposed similar restrictions. The matter has been listed for further hearing on January 15, 2025, to consider additional directions on the firecracker ban.

The Supreme Court had earlier expressed concerns over inadequate enforcement of firecracker bans in Delhi-NCR. On December 12, the Supreme Court directed the Delhi Government and NCR states to decide on a complete year-round ban on firecrackers, including their manufacture, storage, sale, distribution, and use.

“We direct NCR states to constitute the teams of members of police, revenue officials to monitor the implementation of GRAP IV measures. 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 CAQM [Commission for Air Quality Management] so that immediate action be taken by all concerned,” it directed.

The Bench was hearing the case concerning the Delhi air pollution crisis. The Court has been monitoring action taken by authorities in the adjoining States to curb stubble-burning incidents, among other things.

Meanwhile, in a notification issued by the Delhi government’s environment department on Thursday,”There shall be a complete ban on manufacturing, storage, selling (including delivery through online marketing platforms) and bursting of all kinds of fire crackers in NCT of Delhi throughout the year with immediate effect.”

“The Delhi Police and Revenue Department, GNCTD shall ensure implementation of the directions under their respective jurisdiction in letter and spirit. The violation of the directions issued under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 shall be punishable under Section 15 of the said Act,” the notification read.

Meanwhile, Delhi and its neighboring areas like Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram woke up to a thick blanket of dense fog on Thursday morning, adding to the chill of an already cold day. The fog reduced visibility significantly, while the region’s air quality remained perilously high in the ‘severe’ to ‘severe-plus’ category, prompting health concerns. Calm winds and high humidity contributed to shallow fog in various parts of Delhi-NCR, further worsening pollution levels.

The air quality index (AQI) stood at 451, crossing over the severe plus threshold while the AQICN.Org’s real time data recorded AQI 999 at ITI Shahdara Jhilmil in east Delhi. 

With 13.182 per cent, the Transport sector is the key contributor to air pollution in Delhi, followed by Industry (6.418 per cent),  Residential (3.422 per cent), Waste (1.238 per cent), Constructions (1.723 per cent), and Dust (0.916 per cent). The PM2.5 particles, measuring 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter pose significant health risks as they can penetrate deep into the lungs when inhaled.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for the next five days for Delhi, forecasting the persistently low visibility to continue until December 23. The IMD also indicated that the cold and fog conditions would likely worsen due to northern winds.

Out of the 36 air quality monitoring stations across Delhi, 32 reported AQI levels in the ‘severe plus’ category, with several locations recording values exceeding 480, posing extreme health risks to residents. Alarming figures have been reported from Anand Vihar (478), Ashok Vihar (472), Bawana (454), Burari Crossing (473), Mathura Road (467), Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range (451), Dwarka Sector 8 (460), ITO (475), Jahangirpuri (478), and Punjabi Bagh (476).

Other notable locations include Nehru Nagar (485), Rohini (470), Vikas Marg (466), and Vivek Vihar (475) while the remaining stations reported ‘severe’ levels.

The situation in the National Capital Region (NCR) cities also remains critical, with Haryana’s Faridabad at 289, Gurugram at 370 and Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad at 386, Greater Noida at 351, and Noida at 366.

The conditions are a result of the ongoing influence of western disturbances, which are also responsible for a drop in minimum temperatures. As per IMD, the minimum temperature in Delhi had dipped to 5°C on Thursday morning, while earlier this week, the city recorded a low of 7.4°C.Early morning visuals from areas such as Ashoka Road, Kushak Road, and Maulana Azad Road on Thursday showed thick fog enveloping the National Capital.

Moderate fog reported at Safdarjung airport. Safdarjung airport recorded lowest visibility 250m between 7 am to 7.30 am which improved thereafter becoming 300m at 8 am. Palam airport recorded lowest visibility 600 m during 7.30 am to 9 am which improved thereafter becoming 700m at 9.30 am. The ventilation index lower than 6000 m2/s with average wind speed less than 10 kmph is unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants.

The Delhi Airport, considering the situation, issued a passenger advisory in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, requesting the passengers to contact their concerned airlines for updated flight information before travelling. “Low visibility procedures are still in progress at Delhi Airport. However, there has been no impact on flight operations. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information,” the post read.