The Supreme Court of India on Friday raised questions over why firecracker bans apply exclusively to Delhi-NCR, while other cities grappling with severe pollution are not included.
Chief Justice BR Gavai remarked, “If citizens in NCR are entitled to clean air, why not people of other cities?”, emphasizing that any firecracker regulation “has to be on a pan-India basis.” He added, “We can’t have a policy just for Delhi because they’re elite citizens of the country. I was in Amritsar last winter and the pollution was worse than Delhi. If firecrackers are to be banned, they should be banned throughout the country.”
Supporting the argument, Amicus curiae Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh noted, “Elites take care of themselves. They go out of Delhi when there’s pollution.”
The bench has issued notice to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on a plea seeking a nationwide ban on firecrackers, signaling the court’s concern for uniform environmental policies across India.
