Activists fume over ‘green’ Diwali crackers
COURT SETS 2-HOUR LIMIT FOR BURSTING CRACKERS ON DIWALI, OTHER FESTIVALS IN DELHI
Supreme Court sets two-hour limit for bursting crackers during festivals in Delhi to combat pollution |
India’s Supreme Court yesterday allowed the use of “green” firecrackers for Diwali next month to try to curb pollution and fixed a two-hour time period from 8pm to 10pm for bursting them on Diwali and other festivals.
A bench comprising Justices A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan also restrained e-commerce websites such as Flipkart and Amazon from selling firecrackers that are beyond the permissible limit.
The court banned the sale of firecrackers outright during the Hindu festival of lights last year but revellers bought them from neighbouring states and air pollution in New Delhi hit 18 times the healthy limit.
Each year, smoke from firecrackers covers Delhi and its satellite cities in a haze that can linger for days as wind speeds drop in the cooler weather, adding to pollution caused by the burning of crop residue, vehicle exhausts and industrial gases. Activists in India, home to the world’s 14 most polluted cities, had petitioned the court for another ban on fireworks ahead of Diwali, when millions of firecrackers are lit.
Environmentalist Vimlendu Jha said there was no such thing as an environmentally safe firework and blasted the court decision as others raised concerns about how the order can be enforced.
“Your one decision to allow sale and use of firecrackers in current times, while half of our country turns into a gas chamber, will kill toddlers, children and elderly,” Jha said in a Tweet.
But authorities have been reluctant to enforce an outright ban to avoid offending millions of Hindus across the country.
A two-judge bench said firecrackers would be permitted during Diwali, Christmas and New Year, with conditions.
Only “safe and green firecrackers” would be allowed, for a maximum two hours on Diwali, and only in designated areas such as parks. Online sales were banned.
“This decision should have come earlier because manufacturers are ready with all kinds of firecrackers and it will be very hard to stop them,” said Greenpeace campaigner Sunil Dahiya.