Diwali cracker ban in Maharashtra too? Minister says will ask CM Devendra Fadnavis
Maharashtra environment minister Ramdas Kadam said he will speak to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on a ban on firecrackers in the state on the lines of the Supreme Court for Delhi-NCR.
In Short
- Maharashtra minister says a ban on crackers similar to Delhi can be considered
- Environment minister Ramdas Kadam says he will talk to CM Fadnavis on the same
- Supreme Court upheld ban on sale of crackers in Delhi-NCR till November 1
A day after the Supreme Court upheld the ban on sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR till November 1, Maharashtra environment minister said a similar step can be considered for the state.
Maharashtra environment minister Ramdas Kadam said he will take up the matter with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. "(I) will talk to Chief Minister Fadnavis and request (him) if we can also ban crackers in Maharashtra on lines of the SC order for Delhi," said Ramdas Kadam.
On Monday, a Supreme Court bench of Justice A K Sikri, Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre and Justice Ashok Bhushan said that "we should see at least in one Diwali the impact of a cracker-free festivity".
The Supreme Court bench said, "The air quality deteriorates abysmally and alarmingly and the city chokes thereby, it leads to closing the schools and the authorities are compelled to take various measures on emergent basis, when faced with 'health emergency' situation."
This situation, the court said, had occurred on the very next morning after Diwali in 2016 and "resulted in passing the order dated November 11, 2016".
The court, however, said that the September 12, 2017 order lifting the ban on the sale and stocking of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR will be back into effect from November 1.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh said that while the AAP respects the Supreme Court's decision, it should have come up with a decision on how to check pollution rather than banning sale of crackers. The AAP leader said that bursting crackers on Diwali is a part of "culture".
On the arguments by firecracker sellers that the contribution of crackers to the worsening of the air quality was negligible and there were other contributing factors, the Supreme Court said: "On the contrary, we have the direct evidence of deterioration of air quality at alarming levels, which happens every year."
"... , burning of these fire crackers during Diwali in 2016 had shot up PM (particulate matter) levels by three times, making Delhi the worst city in the world, in so far as air pollution is concerned. Direct and immediate cause thereof was burning of crackers during Diwali", the Supreme Court said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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