However, as prohibited firecrackers were stocked, sold, and set ablaze, the highest court’s orders practically vanished once more in Delhi, Gurugram, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Mumbai, and other cities. The court ordered in October 2018 to outlaw the manufacture and distribution of all crackers other than green and improved varieties, which have lower emissions.
Source: Mint
A few days later, the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research said that they had created firecrackers that were both less expensive and polluting than the traditional variety. One thing is evident in the midst of Delhi’s oppressive fog, with Anand Vihar’s AQI allegedly reaching 969 in the early hours of Monday: the movement to greenify firecrackers has failed miserably.
Source: The Indian Express
While questions are being raised regarding the effectiveness of the green alternative in decreasing pollution, highly polluting crackersu2014including illegally imported Chinese products with a false Made in India tagu2014are still finding their way onto the market. Due to shoddy enforcement, the two-hour window for popping crackers has also shown to be a hoax. On the ground, nothing less than a complete prohibition on all varieties of crackers would have an impact.
Out of respect for religious tradition and feeling, the Supreme Court has refrained from taking the necessary action. However, it is in the public interest to end a harmful custom that exposes people to contaminated air. It is necessary to come up with a comprehensive plan to reimburse the fireworks sector and rehabilitate its workforce.
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