Ganapathi Bhat
The courts of India step in only when they are compelled to do so after governments of the day have failed to discharge their duties to upkeep the physical and mental well-being of the public. It is unfortunate some progressive-thinking court orders are ridiculed for being “anti–sentimental”. The Supreme Court’s prohibition on sale of fire crackers in the National Capital Region (NCR) including Delhi is one judgment which had to be hailed in unison; but some experts are busy dissecting the court’s prudence on banning the sale of crackers “wholesale” vis-à-vis their partial sale or regulation. People of Delhi and the rest of NCR will vouch for the terrible “gas chambers” their cities are turned-into come Diwali during October-November.
The air pollution caused by firecrackers, and the burning of stubble in neighboring Haryana as winter sets in and wind speed decreases, are two major sources of air pollution in the region. Admittedly, the problem is not confined to these two months, and certainly not up to November 1, but some beginning had to be done from someone and the SC has done it. In 2016, Delhi had recorded an unprecedented high of 700 micrograms per square metre Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) value which was twenty nine times the World Health Organisation normal. Reports also said the air quality index had touched the maximum limit at all monitoring points at some points in time. Last year, a group of Delhi children, fed-up with the alarming rise in pollution levels in Delhi, had successfully invited the SC intervention on the issue.
Of course, there isn’t clarity on whether crackers can still be procured from outside, and burst in NCR. It is always possible that clandestine black marketing of cracker may happen; but the significance of the court missive cannot be sidetracked. Diwali is a festival of lights; not days of celebration with crackers. Ironically, the traditional lamps which used to decorate the houses have been mostly replaced by glittering decorative lights. People tend to ignore the chronic effects of acute and sustained air pollution by providing themselves temporary relief for the acute problems.
No age group is exempt from the crippling effects of air pollution though children and the elderly are most susceptible to air pollution .
Respiratory and skin disorders have come to stay here, and the “contribution” of firecrackers towards the illness of these organs is numbing. Those who are livid with the SC order, and have felt a “holistic” approach towards control of pollution should have been the order of the day, should know that the SC has indicated the order is experimental – to check whether the ban of crackers will have some positive impact on air pollution an assessment which will be done post-Deepavali. If a court judgment, which is aimed with the health of an individual and society in mind, is termed “judicial overreach” so be it.
