National Green Tribunal : Issue Notice to 23 states to ban firecrackers including Jammu and Kashmir,
New Delhi, 04 November (HC). The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to 23 states, broadening the scope of the petition seeking to ban firecrackers during the Corona crisis from the states of Delhi-NCR. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel has asked these states why firecrackers should not be banned in their states like Odisha and Rajasthan. The NGT has summoned the reply from the Chief Secretaries of these states till tomorrow, that is, November 5.
The states to which the NGT has issued the notice include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan , Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. Air pollution in 122 cities of these states is much higher than the prescribed limit. The NGT has asked these states whether the use of firecrackers can be banned in 122 cities where air pollution is more than the prescribed limit.
The NGT found that the Odisha and Rajasthan governments have decided to ban firecrackers to prevent infection of corona due to rising air pollution. The use of firecrackers has been banned in Odisha from 10 November to 30 November. The Rajasthan government has banned the sale and use of any kind of firecrackers. The Rajasthan government has ordered a fine of ten thousand rupees on the seller of firecrackers, while two thousand rupees on the firecrackers. The NGT has also transferred the petition filed in Bhopal NGT Bench to stop the crackers.
On November 2, the NGT asked the Center and the Delhi government whether the use of firecrackers could be banned from November 7 to 30. The NGT has issued notices to the Commissioner of Delhi Police , Central Pollution Control Board and Delhi Pollution Control Board , besides Delhi , Haryana , Uttar Pradesh , Rajasthan and has filed a reply by 5 November.
The petition has been filed by Santosh Gupta on behalf of the Indian Social Responsibility Network. The petition said that the danger of corona due to increasing air pollution in the present time is expected to be more serious. Therefore steps should be taken to stop firecrackers being burnt in Delhi NCR. The petition states that green crackers are not the solution to the current problem.
The petition referred to the statement of the Union Health Minister, stating that the Corona could reach a dangerous condition if air pollution increases during the festive season. Corona cases can go up to 15 thousand daily in Delhi, which is currently coming to five thousand daily. Hearing the petition, the NGT said that the Supreme Court has also taken into consideration the matter, which deals with the damage caused by air pollution. However, the Supreme Court has not considered the situation in Corona due to air pollution. The condition may worsen for children , the elderly and the sick.
The NGT said that according to the report that is coming, the air quality in Delhi may deteriorate and corona cases may increase. The air quality index is on average between 410 and 450 which is quite dangerous. This condition can cause shortness of breath , diabetes , hypertension and other diseases. According to the opinion of experts, there is a deep correlation between air pollution and corona and there is a high risk of corona from rising air pollution. The NGT has appointed senior lawyers Raj Panjwani and Shivani Ghosh as amicus curiae to help on the case.
