Bombay High Court Imposes Year-Round Firecracker Ban on Public Roads

The Bombay High Court has imposed a year-round ban on bursting firecrackers on public roads and streets, warning that unchecked festival celebrations were transforming urban centers into "toxic gas chambers," as reported by Press Trust of India (PTI). The court emphasized that festival celebrations could not take precedence over public health, expressing significant concern over alarming air pollution levels across Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Kalyan-Dombivli, particularly after the monsoon season.

A bench comprising Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale issued the order on Thursday, making it available on Friday. This new directive extends the court's August order, which had specifically banned firecrackers on public roads and streets during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, to now apply throughout the entire year.

According to PTI, the court noted that the Air Quality Index (AQI) in some parts of Mumbai had recently reached 425, even before the commencement of Diwali celebrations in November. It stated that bursting firecrackers would exacerbate the toxicity in the air, hindering people's ability to breathe clean air and conduct their daily activities. The court asserted, "Unchecked celebrations during festivals were turning urban centres into toxic gas chambers," and added, "The celebrations certainly need to take place, however, they cannot be at the cost of breaching the legal and constitutional rights of thousands of citizens, who are seriously and adversely impacted." The bench underscored every citizen's fundamental right to a pollution-free environment.

In response to the escalating pollution concerns, the bench directed the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, municipal corporations, and the police to establish complaint mechanisms, appoint nodal officers, and launch public awareness campaigns within a week. Furthermore, it ordered that field staff be equipped with decibel meters to effectively monitor noise levels. The court initiated this matter in August due to rising noise pollution during the Ganpati festival and is scheduled to hear the matter again on November 25.

What to watch: The implementation and enforcement of the year-round ban by authorities.

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