<p class="bodytext">The Supreme Court’s ruling that relaxes the blanket ban on fireworks in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), permitting the sale and use of green crackers from October 18 to 20, comes days ahead of Diwali. The court has prescribed restricted timings for the use of fireworks during the two days. Both the Centre and the Delhi government had sought a relaxation in the ban, which has existed for five years. The Court had imposed the ban amid concerns over a major health hazard in a city choking on polluted air. It said the relaxation was a temporary measure and based on a “balanced approach”, considering conflicting interests – the rationale, it said, was to permit use in moderation, while not compromising on the environmental guardrails.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The idea of green crackers, introduced by the government, does not have a scientific grounding and has been propagated primarily to navigate environmental laws. Green firecrackers should not be seen as a safe alternative – the pollution they cause is slightly less than what conventional crackers bring, due to a decreased presence of constituent particulate matter (30% less) and heavy metals. But they still pollute at levels that are much higher than what the residents of the city, especially children, elderly persons, and those who have health issues, can tolerate. The Court had allowed the use of green crackers in 2018, but the Delhi government imposed a total ban two years later because it was not possible to distinguish the “green” crackers from the banned ones, as fakes flooded the market. Reports indicate this is happening even now.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Governments should have taken steps to enforce the total ban effectively in the national capital, in the interest of public health and the environment. Instead, they have gone for a dubious intervention that has political interests at its centre. The safeguards, conditions, and precautions the Court has prescribed and the government has promised to enforce are likely to remain on paper. It is to be noted that the Court has itself acknowledged that enforcement was poor when the complete ban was in force. Partial bans are even more difficult to implement. The ‘balanced approach’ adopted in the matter is also on shaky ground, considering that crackers, in whatever form they are used, cause serious harm to the environment and are an issue concerning public health. Public interest lies on the side of a total ban and its effective and absolute enforcement.</p>
<p class="bodytext">The Supreme Court’s ruling that relaxes the blanket ban on fireworks in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), permitting the sale and use of green crackers from October 18 to 20, comes days ahead of Diwali. The court has prescribed restricted timings for the use of fireworks during the two days. Both the Centre and the Delhi government had sought a relaxation in the ban, which has existed for five years. The Court had imposed the ban amid concerns over a major health hazard in a city choking on polluted air. It said the relaxation was a temporary measure and based on a “balanced approach”, considering conflicting interests – the rationale, it said, was to permit use in moderation, while not compromising on the environmental guardrails.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The idea of green crackers, introduced by the government, does not have a scientific grounding and has been propagated primarily to navigate environmental laws. Green firecrackers should not be seen as a safe alternative – the pollution they cause is slightly less than what conventional crackers bring, due to a decreased presence of constituent particulate matter (30% less) and heavy metals. But they still pollute at levels that are much higher than what the residents of the city, especially children, elderly persons, and those who have health issues, can tolerate. The Court had allowed the use of green crackers in 2018, but the Delhi government imposed a total ban two years later because it was not possible to distinguish the “green” crackers from the banned ones, as fakes flooded the market. Reports indicate this is happening even now.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Governments should have taken steps to enforce the total ban effectively in the national capital, in the interest of public health and the environment. Instead, they have gone for a dubious intervention that has political interests at its centre. The safeguards, conditions, and precautions the Court has prescribed and the government has promised to enforce are likely to remain on paper. It is to be noted that the Court has itself acknowledged that enforcement was poor when the complete ban was in force. Partial bans are even more difficult to implement. The ‘balanced approach’ adopted in the matter is also on shaky ground, considering that crackers, in whatever form they are used, cause serious harm to the environment and are an issue concerning public health. Public interest lies on the side of a total ban and its effective and absolute enforcement.</p>
