'Absolutely necessary': SC refuses to relax ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to relax the ban imposed on the manufacture, storage and sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR, noting that air pollution levels remained alarming for a considerable time.

- TDG NETWORK

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said a large section of the population worked on streets and was the worst affected by pollution. Not everybody can afford an air purifier at their residence or place of work to fight pollution, the bench said.

"Several orders passed by this court during the last six months bring on record the horrible situation which prevailed in Delhi due to very high levels of air pollution. Right to health is an essential part of Article 21 of the constitution, so is the Right to live in a pollution-free atmosphere," the court said.

Unless the court was satisfied that the pollution due to the "so-called" green crackers was bare minimum, there was no question of reconsidering the previous orders, it added.