SC Pushes for Nationwide Firecracker Ban, Says 'Rules Can’t Be Only for Delhi'

The Supreme Court on Friday said that steps to reduce pollution cannot be made only for Delhi, just because it is home to elite citizens. The apex court made this remark while hearing a plea to its April 3 order that stopped the sale, storage, transport and production of firecrackers in the Delhi-NCR area. The court also asked the CAQM to respond within two weeks to a petition opposing the complete ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR.

Pollution Rules Must Apply Across India: CJI

During the hearing, Chief Justice BR Gavai noted that if people in NCR cities have the right to clean air, then others across the country must have the same right. “Any such policy must apply all over India. We cannot have one only for Delhi just because it is considered an elite area,” he said. He also mentioned that when he visited Amritsar last winter, pollution there was even worse than Delhi. “If firecrackers are to be banned, it must be for the whole nation,” the Chief Justice added.

Wealthy Can Protect Themselves from Pollution: Aparajita Singh

Senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who is assisting the court in the Delhi pollution case, told the bench that the elite class can take care of itself and usually leaves Delhi when pollution rises. In April, the bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan had pointed out that a large number of people work outdoors and suffer the most from pollution. They noted that not everyone can afford air purifiers at home or at work to protect themselves from dirty air.

Multiple orders passed by SC in last 6 months

The bench also said that many orders passed in the last six months showed how serious the air pollution problem in Delhi had become. It added that the right to health is part of Article 21 of the Constitution, and so is the right to live in a clean environment. The bench said the court would not review its earlier decisions unless it was proven that the pollution from “so-called” green crackers was minimal.