The Supreme Court on Friday hinted at imposing a nationwide ban on fireworks to combat pollution, instead of just confining it to the Delhi-NCR region.

On October 23, 2018, the apex court banned the use of fireworks other than “green crackers”, which are said to reduce emissions by 30 per cent, in Delhi-NCR. The manufacture of joint crackers and the use of barium, a key chemical in the production of fireworks items and sparklers, were also banned. Fireworks were allowed only for two hours on the day of festivals such as Diwali and New Year.

“If Delhi and cities in NCR are entitled to clean air, why not the people of other cities? Whatever policy has to be there, it has to be on a pan-India basis. We can’t have a policy just for Delhi because they’re elite citizens of the country,” Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai orally observed during a hearing.

The CJI, who was sitting in a bench with Justice K. Vinod Chandran, observed: “I was in Amritsar in winter last year and there the pollution was worse than in Delhi. If firecrackers are to be banned, then they should be banned throughout the country.”

Senior advocate K. Parameshwar, appearing for the firecracker traders association, however, urged the court to take into consideration the fact that any blanket ban would render thousands of workers dependent on these manufacturing units jobless and their livelihood would be at stake.

The bench agreed that any adverse orders would definitely hit the poor workers.

Additional solicitor-general Aishwarya Bhati assured the court that she would place before the bench a report from NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) on the steps needed to curb pollution in the Delhi-NCR region besides the rest of the country.

The court accordingly adjourned the matter for further hearing to September 22.