Delhi’s air will be much worse after Diwali, commented Supreme Court judge Vikram Nath on Wednesday while entertaining a request to accommodate hearing of a matter for November 17.
The light-hearted comment by a bench headed by justice Vikram Nath exposed a sad reality of Capital’s deteriorating air quality. After Diwali, it will be worse. But we can’t sit at home. The issue of pollution in Delhi is being monitored by the Supreme Court in a suo motu proceeding arising from a petition filed by advocate MC Mehta. Under orders passed in the MC Mehta petition, there is a ban on bursting, sale and distribution of firecrackers in Delhi, extending further to the national capital region. This year too, the fireworks retailers have requested the court for a similar arrangement demanding that under monitoring of the court, specified dates could be allotted for sale of crackers and its bursting be regulated during specified times.
The judge was willing to grant a date for the matter on November 3 as justice Nath, who is presently the senior most puisne judge in the Supreme Court, continued the light banter, “You come before Diwali, the environment would be cleaner. Along with this, in 2015, a petition was filed by three toddlers seeking a complete ban on firecrackers owing to the detrimental effect on children, aged and sick persons who face breathing and other health related complications.
As Jaising was appearing virtually before the court through the videoconferencing facility, justice Nath quipped, “You have the privilege of sitting at home and saving yourselves from the pollution. Last year, a window was provided by the court for sale and bursting of crackers during Diwali in order to strike a balance between the right to health of citizens and the celebrations surrounding the right to observe festivals and religious beliefs. The issue of whether firecrackers will be allowed on Diwali this year is to be heard and decided by another bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday. Incidentally, both these matters are listed before a bench headed by justice MM Sundresh on Thursday. This issue will be decided on Thursday.
