A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih passed the directive and extended the ban over the use of firecrackers to Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in-order to uphold the standards of air quality and control the air pollution in the NCR region. "For the time being, we direct Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana to impose a similar ban which is imposed by Delhi," stated the court while making the verdict.
The Supreme Court has been addressing petitions calling for stringent measures to combat the escalating air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region. Over recent days, the air quality in the area has predominantly hovered between the "very poor" and "severe" categories, attributed to adverse meteorological conditions. These worsening environmental circumstances have raised serious concerns, prompting legal and administrative scrutiny to identify and implement effective solutions for mitigating the region's persistent pollution crisis.
On December 12, the Delhi government apprised the Supreme Court of its decision to impose a comprehensive ban on the use of firecrackers, which will remain in effect until January. Furthermore, the government revealed that it is actively contemplating the implementation of a year-round prohibition on firecrackers to address the region's persistent air pollution concerns. The authorities assured the court that the decision regarding the permanent ban would be finalized and officially notified in the near future.
The Supreme Court subsequently instructed the NCR states to submit their official decisions regarding the enforcement of a year-round ban on firecrackers. The court emphasized that such a measure was essential not only to reduce air pollution but also to address noise pollution. Additionally, it clarified that the ban would encompass all aspects, including the sale, manufacturing, storage, and use of firecrackers.
Following the Supreme Court's directive to enforce decisions regarding a year-round firecracker ban, the Haryana government stated that it would permit only the sale of green crackers. The Rajasthan government announced a complete ban on firecrackers in areas within the NCR region, while the Uttar Pradesh government expressed its reluctance to impose an outright ban on firecrackers. Taking note of the differing positions among the states, the Supreme Court observed that the ban on firecrackers would be effective only if all NCR states adopted a uniform approach. Consequently, the court directed the Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments to implement a complete ban on firecrackers.
The Supreme Court directed all states to identify workers impacted by the enforcement of Stage-IV restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and to provide them with subsistence allowances. The Stage-IV measures for winter include a ban on all construction and demolition activities, including public infrastructure projects like highways and flyovers, as well as restrictions on the entry of trucks carrying non-essential goods into Delhi.
The court emphasized that while identifying affected workers, states should not limit their efforts to those registered on official portals. Additionally, the bench instructed the Delhi and NCR state governments to form dedicated teams to ensure strict implementation of GRAP-IV norms.
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