Supreme Court asks Uttar Pradesh, Haryana to impose ban on firecrackers

New Delhi: Terming the rising air pollution a "drastic" problem, the Supreme Court on Friday said the measures that are needed to deal with it should also be "drastic" and asked the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments to impose a complete ban on firecrackers in their areas falling under the National Capital Region.

A bench of Justices A S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan took note of the fact that like in Delhi, the Rajasthan government has also imposed a perpetual and complete ban on the sale and bursting of firecrackers in the NCR areas of the state and asked Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to follow suit.

The bench said till the time these two states pass the orders, its earlier direction banning firecrackers would be extended till the next date of hearing in the matter, which is March 24.

"The environmental problems are drastic ones and so drastic measures are needed," the bench said, adding that the court has to act and pass harsher orders as the other arms of the government are not bothered.

The bench said it will also hear the pleas against the ban of firms involved in the manufacture and sale of firecrackers on the next date.

When a lawyer requested the court to lift the complete ban as it also pertains to the manufacturers' fundamental rights, the bench said the environmental problems come ahead of their issues.

The lawyer then requested the court to at least allow green crackers.

"We have to examine how green are green crackers," the bench said.

It also asked the Centre to respond to the pleas of the firecracker-manufacturing firms.

Earlier also, the court had directed the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments to impose a complete ban on firecrackers until further orders.

The bench had noted that the Delhi government had enforced a complete ban on the manufacture, storage and sale, including delivery, of firecrackers through online marketing round the year with immediate effect.

"We are of the view that this ban will be effective only when other states forming part of the NCR impose similar measures. Even the state of Rajasthan has imposed a similar ban in that part of the state of Rajasthan which falls in the NCR. For the time being, we direct the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to impose a similar ban, which is imposed by the state of Delhi," the bench had said.

Expressing serious concerns over the high pollution levels in Delhi during Diwali, the apex court previously took exception to the violation of court orders and said its directives on the firecracker ban were "hardly implemented".

The court was hearing a plea filed by M C Mehta in 1985 seeking directions to curb air pollution in the national capital and adjoining areas. PTI SJK ABA RC