New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday was informed by the Delhi government that it has imposed a complete ban on the manufacture, storage, sale, and bursting of all types of firecrackers in the national capital throughout the year. This decision, effective immediately, also prohibits the delivery of firecrackers through online platforms.
 

The Haryana government told the court that it has allowed the use of green crackers, while Rajasthan reported a total ban on firecrackers in areas within the National Capital Region (NCR). In contrast, Uttar Pradesh stated that it has decided not to impose a complete ban on firecrackers.
 

The court, hearing a case related to air pollution in the NCR filed by environmentalist MC Mehta, emphasised that a blanket ban across the region would only be effective if all states within the NCR implement uniform restrictions.
 

“For the time being, we direct Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to impose a ban similar to the one implemented by Delhi,” the bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih stated.
 

The court had earlier directed Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh to make a final decision on the prohibition of firecrackers.
 

Addressing the broader issue of air pollution, the bench ordered NCR states to form teams comprising police and revenue officials to monitor compliance with measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-IV). This directive follows the restoration of GRAP-IV in Delhi-NCR due to worsening air quality.
 

The teams are to regularly report compliance and any violations to the Commission for Air Quality Management to ensure swift action. The court stressed the urgency of strict enforcement to tackle the region's severe air pollution
 

BI Bureau