Firecrackers ban in Delhi-NCR: The Court said a large section of the population worked on the streets and was the worst affected by pollution.
Firecrackers ban in Delhi-NCR: The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to lift the ban on manufacturing, storing, and selling firecrackers in Delhi-NCR, noting air pollution levels had remained alarming for a considerable time. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan emphasised that street workers and other vulnerable groups are the most affected by pollution.
‘Not everybody can afford air purifier’
The bench further noted that not everyone can afford an air purifier at home or work to combat pollution.
“Several orders passed by this court during last six months bring on the record the horrible situation with which prevailed in Delhi due to very high levels of air pollution…Right to health is an essential part of Article 21 of the constitution so is the Right to live in a pollution-free atmosphere,” the court said.
The court said that unless it was convinced that pollution from “so-called” green crackers was minimal, there was no reason to reconsider previous orders. It emphasised that the ban on firecrackers was necessary due to the “extraordinary situation” of pollution in Delhi.
Delhi govt tightens pollution control measures
Delhi on Thursday recorded a minimum temperature of 15.6 degrees Celsius, 3.2 degrees below the season’s average, the Met office said. The air quality was recorded in the poor category as the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9 am stood at 219, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday had announced in the assembly that the Delhi government will introduce a new policy for issuing Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates to vehicles from other states, in a bid to tackle air pollution.
The move came in response to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report titled “Vehicular Air Pollution in Delhi,” which flagged lapses in the national capital’s pollution control mechanisms.
(With PTI inputs)
Also Read: New policy on pollution certificates, 48,000 EV charging points by 2026: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta
Also Read: Delhi pollution: CAG report tabled in Assembly flags lapses in control measures | Details
