The Delhi-NCR ban on the production, sale, and storage of firecrackers was upheld by the Supreme Court on Thursday, citing persistently high levels of air pollution. According to a bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, a significant portion of the populace was the most severely impacted by pollution and worked on the streets.
According to the bench, not everyone can afford to install an air purifier at home or at work to combat pollution.
"A number of rulings made by this court in the past six months document the terrible circumstances that prevailed in Delhi as a result of extremely high air pollution levels...The court ruled that both the right to health and the right to live in an environment free from pollution are fundamental components of Article 21 of the constitution.
The court further stated that there was no chance of reexamining the earlier rulings until it was convinced that the pollution caused by the "so-called" green crackers was negligible.
The top court stated that the occasional instructions would suggest that a "extraordinary situation" generated in Delhi justified the directives and the prohibition on using firecrackers.
