Why ban just firecrackers when automobiles are major pollutants too, asks Supreme Court; posts matter for hearing on 3 April

Hinting at a rethink of the ban, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked why firecrackers should be targeted when automobiles could be the leading cause of pollution. Expressing concern over the loss of employment of lakhs of people as a result of the ban, the bench said, “What about the rights of the unemployed workers in cracker factories? We did not wish to generate unemployment. If the occupation is legal and duly licensed how can you stop it?” [caption id=“attachment_5443301” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of workers making firecrackers at a factory. Reuters[/caption] The apex court also sought a comparative report on pollution caused by automobiles and firecrackers from the Centre. The matter was posted for further hearing on 3 April. The apex court had banned conventional firecrackers before Diwali on 23 October last year, especially in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR), owing to the resultant air and noise pollution but permitted ‘green’ firecrackers. Soon after, firecracker manufacturers moved the court, saying that there was no such thing as ‘green’ firecrackers. On 27 February, the court asked the Centre for a timeline to decide the chemical composition of green crackers. The ban affected the livelihood of four lakh workers and resulted in the closure of 974 firecracker units in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu alone, according to a report in The Hindu.