Mon Nov 18 12:14:18 UTC 2024: ## Delhi Police Flayed for Lax Enforcement of Diwali Firecracker Ban; Supreme Court Orders Crackdown
**New Delhi, November 12, 2024** – The Supreme Court of India has sharply criticized the Delhi Police for their failure to effectively enforce the ban on firecrackers during Diwali, leading to dangerously high levels of air pollution in the capital. The court, hearing a suo moto case on the issue, stated that the right to breathe clean air is a fundamental right and that no religion condones air pollution.
The judges, Justices Abhay Oka and Augustine George, expressed their displeasure at the inadequate implementation of the October 14th government order banning firecrackers. They directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to take action against officers who failed to prevent the sale and bursting of firecrackers.
The court ordered the establishment of a special unit within the Delhi Police dedicated to monitoring and preventing the use of firecrackers. Furthermore, the Delhi government has been instructed to decide by November 25th whether to extend the firecracker ban to a year-round measure across Delhi and its surrounding areas. Both the Delhi Police Commissioner and neighboring states must submit detailed reports on enforcement efforts by the same date.
The Supreme Court’s intervention highlights the severity of the air pollution crisis following Diwali and underscores the need for stringent enforcement of existing regulations to protect public health.
First Piper 