Terming the rising air pollution a "drastic" problem, the Supreme Court on Friday stated that the measures needed to tackle it should also be "drastic." The Court directed the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments to impose a complete ban on firecrackers in their areas falling under the National Capital Region (NCR).
A bench of Justices A S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan noted that, like Delhi, the Rajasthan government has already imposed a perpetual and complete ban on the sale and bursting of firecrackers in the NCR areas of the state. The Court asked Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to adopt similar measures.
The bench stated that until these two states pass their own orders, its previous direction banning firecrackers would remain in effect until the next hearing scheduled for March 24.
"The environmental problems are drastic, and so drastic measures are needed," the bench remarked, emphasizing that the Court must take action and issue harsher orders, given that other arms of the government have not effectively addressed the issue.
The bench also mentioned it would hear pleas challenging the ban on firecracker-manufacturing firms during the next hearing.
When a lawyer requested the Court to lift the complete ban due to its impact on the manufacturers' fundamental rights, the bench stated that environmental concerns take precedence over such issues. The lawyer then urged the Court to at least allow the sale of "green crackers."
"We have to examine how green are green crackers," the bench responded.
Additionally, the Court asked the Centre to respond to the petitions filed by firecracker-manufacturing firms.
The Court had earlier directed the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments to enforce a complete ban on firecrackers until further orders. It also noted that the Delhi government had imposed a year-round ban on the manufacture, storage, sale, and delivery of firecrackers, including online marketing.
"We are of the view that this ban will only be effective when other states forming part of the NCR also impose similar measures. Even the state of Rajasthan has implemented a similar ban in the NCR areas of Rajasthan. For the time being, we direct the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to impose a similar ban," the bench had said.
Expressing serious concern over high pollution levels in Delhi during Diwali, the Supreme Court had previously criticized the poor implementation of its orders, stating that its directives on the firecracker ban were "hardly implemented."
The bench was hearing a plea filed by environmentalist M.C. Mehta in 1985, which seeks directions to curb air pollution in the national capital and surrounding areas.