New Delhi, April 3:
The Supreme Court has refused to lift the ban on the manufacture, storage and sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR. The court said that air pollution has remained at dangerous levels here for a long time. During the hearing of the case, the bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuinya said that people working on the roads are most affected by pollution. Not everyone has the facility to install air purifiers in their home or workplace.
The Supreme Court said, ‘In the last six months, this court has given several orders, which show that the condition of air pollution in Delhi has been very bad. The right to health is the right of every citizen under Article 21 of the Constitution, which also includes the right to live in a clean and pollution-free environment.’
The Supreme Court also said that until it is proved that green crackers cause very less pollution, there is no question of reconsidering this ban. According to the court, due to the extraordinary situation prevailing in Delhi, it is absolutely necessary to ban crackers.
The apex court said the orders passed from time to time indicate that the directions and restrictions on the use of firecrackers were very necessary in view of the extraordinary situation prevailing in Delhi. (Agencies)