SC 'bans' fire crackers across India

The Supreme Court Tuesday ordered a ban on firecrackers across India, saying the directions against the use of barium and banned chemicals in firecrackers are applicable to all states and not just Delhi-NCR. The clarification was made by the apex court while hearing a plea relating to issue of firecrackers in the state of Rajasthan. The court has also directed the state governments to take appropriate steps to control air and noise pollution. The state of Rajasthan was told by the court that no fresh directions are needed and it should take specific note of the previous orders. “At this juncture, no specific order will be necessary in as much as this Court in the course of hearing the petitions has passed several orders, where steps have been indicated to minimise and avoid air as well as noise pollution. Hence the said orders will bind every state in the country, including the state of Rajasthan,” a bench of Justice A S Bopanna and Justice M M Sundresh said in its order. The Supreme Court said there is a wrong perception that it is the court’s responsibility on the issue of the environment. It further remarked that it is everyone’s duty to manage pollution. The court remarked that every citizen has to see that Diwali is celebrated environment-friendly with fewer crackers. In 2021, a slew of directions were passed by the Supreme Court to ensure that banned chemicals are not used in crackers ahead of Diwali. The bench had also clarified that there is no total ban on firecrackers and that only those firecrackers were banned that contained barium salts. Green crackers are permissible following the directions issued by the Supreme Court in 2018. In its November 7, 2023, hearing, the court also said it has observed that these days elders burst more firecrackers as compared to children. The court also directed the state of Rajasthan to take immediate steps to control pollution in Udaipur. On September 22, the top court had rejected the plea seeking the manufacture, sale and use of firecrackers containing barium chemicals. With inputs from agencies