The Supreme Court of India on Thursday reaffirmed its stance on banning the manufacture, storage, and sale of firecrackers in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), citing persistently alarming levels of air pollution. Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan presided over the decision, emphasizing the significant health risks posed by the deteriorated air quality, particularly to those who work outdoors.
The bench highlighted the inaccessibility of air purifiers for a large segment of the population, underscoring the socio-economic dimensions of the air pollution crisis. “Not everybody can afford an air purifier at their residence or place of work to fight pollution,” the justices noted, recognizing the disproportionate impact on lower-income groups.
The court’s decision was grounded in a series of previous rulings over the last six months, which documented the severe pollution levels in Delhi. “Several orders passed by this court during the last six months bring on the record the horrible situation which prevailed in Delhi due to very high levels of air pollution,” the court stated, affirming that the right to health and a pollution-free atmosphere are essential under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Despite arguments from various stakeholders about the potential minimal impact of “so-called” green crackers, the court remained firm in its position that unless it could be satisfactorily demonstrated that these alternatives significantly reduce pollution, there would be no basis for reconsidering the ban. “Unless the court was satisfied that the pollution due to the ‘so-called’ green crackers was bare minimum, there was no question of reconsidering the previous orders,” the justices declared.
