A balanced approach on firecrackers needed: SC
ENVIRONMENT – POLLUTION
27 SEPTEMBER 2025
- The Supreme Court said a complete ban on firecrackers would open the field for the mafia to capture the industry and illegally peddle their wares to the gullible public.
- A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai referred to how a total ban on mining in Bihar had led to the mafia moving in.
- Chief Justice Gavai observed on the futility of trying to exert an iron-handed and totalitarian approach against the firecracker industry which employs thousands of workers.
- The top court, in a virtual turnaround, called for a “balanced approach” — a policy that would ensure that the right to earn a livelihood in the firecracker industry would co-exist with the right to a clean environment without suffering from the after-effects of air pollution.
- The Bench directed the Environment Ministry to find a solution that would weigh in all the considerations.
- Meanwhile, the court allowed manufacturers, who have been certified by NEERI and PESO to produce green crackers to continue their operations.
- The Supreme Court completely banned on firecrackers in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) in April 2025.
