DNA Edit: Supreme Court Clears The Air - A crackerless Diwali for Delhi-NCR

The Supreme Court is determined to clear the air in Delhi-NCR and gives citizens a breather from pollution, even if it entails having a cracker-less Diwali.

The apex court has refused to allow anything other than green crackers to be burst in the above-mentioned zones. Since virtually all the crackers meant for Diwali celebrations were manufactured before the SC order, they do not stick to the green standards. And now there is too little time to manufacture eco-friendly ones.

While the citizens might feel dejected, it’s worth recalling how the Delhi government took the whole business of pollution during Diwali in a cavalier manner. Earlier this year, the idea of green crackers was taken up by Central Electro Chemical Research Institute, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, National Botanical Research Institute and National Chemical Laboratory, but it didn’t gain traction.

Neither did any state government give incentives to manufacturers to produce such crackers on an industrial scale. While the SC has been consistent in its stand on air pollution, there has been no palpable change on the ground. Recall that the apex court, which had in 2015 turned down a plea to ban firecrackers during Diwali, had to intervene in light of alarming pollution level after 2016 Diwali and suspended all licenses of sellers of firecrackers in the NCR.

Now the same court has made it mandatory on Wednesday for all states to practice community fireworks, encouraging communities to keep a tab on members and inspiring them to abide by the rules. That would definitely make the job easy for the police since state governments had expressed helplessness about keeping a close watch between 8 pm and 10 pm.

While other institutions have failed to clean up the mess, the SC has soldiered on to make a difference.