Ban on firecrackers will be permanent, Delhi government tells Supreme Court | Latest News Delhi

The top court was informed of the decision taken by the Delhi government during a hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by lawyer and activist MC Mehta regarding monitoring of air pollution air in the city.

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The top court on November 11 asked Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan to decide on a permanent ban on firecrackers in the interest of citizens who have the right to breathe clean air. On Thursday, senior advocate Shadan Farasat, appearing for the Delhi government, said: “We will do this permanently. A decision in principle has been made. On the next date, the government affidavit will be filed in the court.

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To this, the bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih responded: “It is not only a requirement to reduce air pollution but also noise pollution,” and asked the other NCR states to clarify their position by the next hearing in December. 19. “We will consider issuing directions to states on the issue of banning firecrackers. We make it clear that the ban also includes the prohibition of the manufacture, storage or sale of firecrackers,” it added.

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A ban on firecrackers was first imposed in Delhi in 2017 following directions from the Supreme Court in a bid to assess their possible impact on air quality.

In 2018 and 2019, conventional crackers were banned, but green crackers were allowed. However, in both years, firecrackers exploded in large numbers, with law enforcement claiming to have failed to distinguish between different types of firecrackers.

As of 2020, a total ban was put in place, including that of green crackers. Even then, the ban was widely flouted, leading to a sharp drop in air quality, especially the day after Diwali.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the statutory body monitoring air pollution in Delhi-NCR which implemented the court order to reduce restrictions at Stage 2 of the Graduated Response Action Plan (Grap-2) on December 5, told the court. that the air quality in the city was now much better and acknowledged that maintaining Grap-4 emergency measures for a fortnight from November 18 had helped.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, representing CAQM, said, “We are not asking to leave Grap-2. Over the past week, we have seen how this effect has occurred primarily because of the court order to prosecute Grap-4.”

The court, which cited the need to ensure that steps are not taken to aggravate pollution, asked the CAQM to consider recommending all government vehicles, which constitute a significant portion of vehicular traffic in Delhi, to pass in electric mode. Although the court had already mentioned this suggestion in another PIL related to Delhi’s green cover, the court said, “If the suggestion comes from the CAQM, you can get data on how many such vehicles are there in Delhi. » The court said it was aware that this number could reach a huge number considering the presence of state and central government departments, public sector undertakings, corporations and defense establishments.

The court also approved a modified Grap regime under Stage 2 proposed by the CAQM, which introduces several Grap-3 measures under Grap-2. These restrictions include a ban on interstate buses from NCR other than EV/CNG or BS-VI vehicles, but do not apply to buses and tempo travelers with an all-India permit. Other changes include intensifying mechanical sweeping of roads, using sprinklers to deposit dust on roads and improving public transport services.

The court also asked states to provide details of subsistence allowances paid to construction workers who became unemployed during the construction ban under Grap-4. Delhi government says over 90,000 registered workers are paid ₹8000, while new registrations were in progress. Uttar Pradesh claimed to have disbursed money to 488,000 workers, Haryana to 100,000 workers and Rajasthan to 2,900 workers.

“We will continue to monitor until we are satisfied that every eligible worker has been paid. The focus should not only be on those who are registered, but also on determining the actual number of workers deprived of income during this period,” the bench said.