HC imposes year-round ban on firecrackers on road

Mumbai: Ahead of Diwali festival, the Bombay High Court on Thursday said its order banning bursting of firecrackers on public roads and streets will be applicable throughout the year.

A bench of Justices G S Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale said the "toxic pollution" from firecrackers affects every person, especially senior citizens and children, and the air pollution increases after Diwali.

During the Ganesh Chaturthi festival last month, the bench had ordered a complete ban on bursting of firecrackers on public roads noting that it causes not only air pollution but also noise pollution.

The court had then taken suo motu (on its own) cognizance of the issue of noise pollution during festivals.

On Thursday, the bench remarked that the government and other authorities seemed to have no control over the bursting of firecrackers.

"There is a state of lawlessness. We are all bound by the Constitution, and the rights of citizens are paramount. The problem is the non-following of law," the court said.

The bench said its earlier order banning firecrackers on public roads shall be applicable throughout the year and in respect of all festivals, noting that this would meet the ends of justice.

The court said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) shall issue appropriate notices stating that the "burning of firecrackers at all public places, namely streets, lanes, and footpaths, shall not be permitted."

The authorities shall also carry out a campaign to make citizens aware of the ill-effects of toxicity brought about by the bursting of firecrackers, the judges said.