Tag: air pollution delhi

‘Misdirection of Funds, Under-Funded Policies Responsible for Air Pollution Crisis’: Congress

“The National Clean Air Program is desperately underfunded – and yet, of this meagre [budget], only 64% of the funds were used,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.

New Delhi: Criticising the Modi government for the “public health crisis” emerging from rampant air pollution in the country, the Congress on Sunday (July 21) demanded that necessary steps must be taken in the upcoming Union budget to address the issue.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, in a statement posted on X, said that a study by the Centre for Science and Environment in Delhi has “evaluated the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) and brought to light the policy chaos that has resulted in this public health crisis.”

Alleging misdirection of funds and under-funded policies, Ramesh said, “The current budget of the NCAP, including the 15th Finance Commission’s grants, is about Rs 10,500 crores – spread across 131 cities! The program is therefore desperately underfunded – and yet, and of this meagre amount, only 64% of the funds were used.

Poor policy making has misdirected the available resources. NCAP’s performance assessment – and therefore interventions – are heavily focused on PM 10 (particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micro metres or less) rather than on PM 2.5 (diameter of 2.5 micro metres or less), which is far more hazardous.”

He said that the funds used for road dust mitigation was far greater than what was allocated to controlling combustion-linked emissions from industries, vehicles and biomass burning – that are “far more dangerous for human health”.

“…64% of the funds utilized were spent on road dust mitigation – much more than on controlling combustion-linked emissions from industries (0.61% of funds), vehicles (12.63% of funds), and biomass burning (14.51% of funds). These emissions are far more dangerous for human health,” the statement said, adding that “out of 131 cities under NCAP, most do not even have data to track their air pollution. Of 46 cities which have data, only 8 cities have met the NAP’s low target, while 22 cities actually saw air pollution get worse.”

Ramesh said that seeing the public health consequences of air pollution, a complete revamp of both the Air Pollution (Control and Prevention) Act and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) was required.

Listing down the steps that the Union government should take to address this problem, Ramesh said that the NCAP must be made a Rs 25,000 crore program while the city-wise budget needs to be increased by 10-20 times the current amount.

“NCAP must adopt measurement of PM 2.5 levels as the yardstick for performance. [It] must reorient its focus to key sources of emissions – burning of solid fuels, vehicular emissions, and industrial emissions,” the statement said.

The party also demanded an enforcement mechanism and legal backing for the NCAP along with data monitoring capacity for every Indian city and not just in “non-attainment cities”. States that have fallen short of NAAQS for over five years are classified as non-attainment cities.

“NCAP must adopt a regional/airshed approach for air quality control – municipal and state authorities must have the governance architecture and resources required to collaborate across jurisdictions,” Ramesh argued.

“Air pollution norms for coal power plants must be enforced immediately. All power plants must install a Fluoride Gas Desulfurizer (FGD) by the end of 2024. The National Green Tribunal’s independence must be restored, and the anti-people environmental law amendments made in the last 10 years must be rolled back, he added.

Stubble-Burning Incidents Down by 54.2% in the Latest Paddy Harvesting Season: Centre

The number of incidents reduced from 13,964 (in 2022) to 6,391 (in 2023) during the September 15 to October 29 period across Punjab, Haryana, NCR-Uttar Pradesh, NCR-Rajasthan, and Delhi. Data suggests that 38% of the air pollution level is contributed by stubble burning.

New Delhi: Stubble-burning incidents in states with major paddy cultivation have reduced by 54.2% during the recent 45-day paddy harvesting season in comparison to the same period last year, the Union government told parliament.

Paddy stubble burning is the practice of burning leftover plant debris after harvesting rice to prepare fields for wheat crops. The Union government data estimates that 38% of the air pollution level is contributed by stubble burning.

According to the data presented by Union agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister, Arjun Munda, to the parliament on Tuesday, December 12, the number of incidents reduced from 13,964 (in 2022) to 6,391 (in 2023) during the September 15 to October 29 period across Punjab, Haryana, NCR-Uttar Pradesh, NCR-Rajasthan, and Delhi. In 2021, these regions together accounted for 11,461 stubble-burning incidents in the same period.

Punjab and Haryana had registered 12,112 and 1,813 incidents, respectively, in 2022. The corresponding figures for this year came down to 5,254 and 1,094 in the September 15 to October 29 period.

The agriculture minister told the House that a satellite remote sensing system is in place to track active fires. The system was developed by the Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modelling from Space Laboratory, Division of Agricultural Physics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.

On June 10, 2021, the Commission for Air Quality Management, through statutory directions, came out with a framework for control/elimination of crop residue burning, mandating governments of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to develop state-specific actionable plans. The plans, the minister said, include proper implementation of in-situ and ex-situ management of paddy straw, effective monitoring/enforcement, and the prohibition of stubble burning.

Meanwhile, the overall air quality in Delhi stood in the ‘very poor’ category with the Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 326, as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data registered at 7 am on Tuesday, December 12, according to LiveMint. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, 401 and 450 ‘severe’ and above 450 ‘severe-plus’.

As Delhi Gears up for Stubble Burning Season, What Are the Plans To Limit Pollution?

While the main focus is on co-firing biomass pellets and limiting crop residue burning, a review meeting co-chaired by two Union ministers found that these measures may not have tangible benefits this year.

Kochi: As Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region gear up for stubble burning season – when farmers in the area and neighbouring states burn crop residue, which increases air pollution levels drastically during this time – central and state authorities are focusing on aspects including mandating the co-firing of biomass pellets as well as preventing stubble burning to limit air pollution.

At a meeting co-chaired by Union ministers for power, new and renewable energy; and environment, forest and climate change on October 3 in New Delhi, thermal power plants – especially those located in Punjab and Haryana – were directed to issue tenders to cover 5% co-firing of biomass pellets along with coal. Not complying will be met with strict action, and the Ministry of Power will also consider reducing coal supply to such plants, as per the proceedings of the meeting. Meanwhile, though Punjab is preparing an action plan to limit crop residue burning, resolution of the issue will take at least four to five years, said officials with the State Pollution Control Board.

Also Read: New Delhi, Kolkata Are the Most Polluted Cities in the World; Mumbai Ranks 14th

Co-firing biomass pellets

Crop biomass which would otherwise be burnt in the open (e.g., crop residue such as straw leftover in fields after paddy harvests) can be ‘torrefied’ – subjected to intense heat to compress it into pellets that can be used as solid fuel. Research, as well as the use of such pellets in thermal power plants in developed countries, reveal that blending coal with such bio-pellets in thermal power plants can decrease carbon dioxide emissions significantly by decreasing the dependence of power plants on coal alone.

Such ‘biomass co-firing’ is a step that India has taken up in its efforts to decrease greenhouse gas emissions as per targets set under the Paris Agreement 2015 to mitigate climate change. One of the objectives of the National Mission on the use of Biomass in Thermal Power Plants (SAMARTH, conceived of in 2021) under the Ministry of Power is to increase co-firing biomass pellets from 5% to higher levels. In October last year, the Ministry of Power mandated that all coal-based thermal power plants (depending on their method of power generation) should co-fire at least 5% of biomass pellets along with coal. The co-firing policy will remain in use for 25 years, or till the end of the operation of the power plant.

However, even this current target is “far off”, the review meeting co-chaired by the two Union ministers in New Delhi found.

According to data presented by SAMARTH, there is an increase in power plants co-firing biomass pellets. While only 8 power plants co-fired biomass pellets in 2020-21, today, 39 power plants do so. This includes 10 thermal power plants in the NCR too. Yet, the amount of biomass co-fired is still trailing. As of March this year, only 23 thermal power plants had co-fired pellets totalling to 66,000 metric tonnes. As of date, the figure is 83,066 metric tonnes of biomass, co-fired in 39 thermal power plants across India. Power plants in the NCR region account for only 22,696 metric tonnes of this co-firing.

The meeting mandated that thermal power plants – especially those located in Punjab and Haryana – issue tenders to cover 5% co-firing of biomass pellets along with coal. Not complying will attract penalties, as per the Ministry of Power: it will consider reducing coal supply to such plants. All power plants including private power companies in the NCR have to also install biomass pellet manufacturing plants (torrefied/non-torrefied) on their premises. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) was also instructed to start considering penal provisions on plants that are not taking enough steps to co-fire sufficient quantities of biomass, the government press release said.

Chimneys of a coal-fired power plant are pictured in New Delhi. Photo: Reuters/Adnan Abidi

‘Resolution will take time’

Meanwhile, though Punjab is trying to address the crop residue burning problem, resolving it will take at least four-five years, said Krunesh Garg, member-secretary of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PCB). Garg was speaking at a workshop organised in Chandigarh on October 3 by Climate Trends (a Delhi-based strategic communications initiative), Panjab University and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Chandigarh.

“It’s not that the problem is not being addressed. We are mapping it down to the block and village level, but it’ll take 4-5 years for proper problem resolution,” he said, per a press release. During this year’s Kharif season, the extent of paddy crop in Punjab alone amounts to 31.13 lakh hectares, said Garg in his presentation. This is an increase from the 29.61 lakh hectares of paddy sown in 2021 and will generate 19.76 million tonnes of paddy straw when compared to 18.74 tonnes last year.

Last year, the PCB formulated an action plan to control crop residue burning. This includes several in-situ management strategies such as promoting shorter-duration varieties of paddy and managing crop residue using machinery (such as Happy Seeder machines that cut paddy straw, lift it, and plant wheat seeds). The action plan is currently being updated based on revisions proposed by the CAQM, according to information shared by the PCB at the meeting.

Though the Board conducted trials of bio-decomposers, the results were not very promising, Garg said in the presentation. More trials are on the cards to determine the efficiency of bio-decomposers in reducing crop residue, he added.

NHRC Notice to Centre on Report That Says Air Pollution Cut Indians’ Life Span By Five Years

The NHRC asked that the MoEFCC provide details of the status of the National Clean Air Programme launched in 2019.

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on Friday, June 24, calling for a report on the status of air pollution in India. 

It took suo motu cognisance of media coverage quoting a report published on June 14 that air pollution is the “greatest threat to human health in the country”. The report, the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), said that Indians stand to lose five years of life due to air pollution levels in the country.  

If this is true, it raises “a serious issue of Right to Life”, the NHRC noted. It asked that the MoEFCC report also provide the status of the National Clean Air Programme launched in 2019 and that it be ready in four weeks. The NHRC expected state authorities to “take up the issue” in a time-bound manner as well, it said. 

Report on air quality

This year’s AQLI, the report that media articles quoted and which prompted the NHRC’s response, is developed by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC). It gives a snapshot of air pollution – based on levels of fine particulate matter on PM2.5, a major air pollutant – across the world.

These inhalable particles less than 2.5 micrometres (µm) wide are known to contribute to the risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and lung cancer, as per the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The report links PM2.5 levels to life expectancy, translating it into how many years a person stands to gain if their countries meet air quality standards. 

According to this year’s AQLI report (based on data from 2020), India is the second most polluted country in the world. Since 1998, India’s average annual particulate pollution has increased by 61.4% (currently, average PM2.5 levels in India is 55.8 μg/m3 micrograms per cubic metre). And since 2013, India has contributed to 44% of the world’s increase in pollution. 

Air pollution shortens average Indian life expectancy by five years, relative to what it would be if WHO guidelines were met, the report said. In the Indo-Gangetic plains of Northern India, 510 million residents – nearly 40% of India’s population – could lose 7.6 years of life expectancy on average if current pollution levels persist.

Also read: Air Pollution Cuts Indians’ Life Expectancy By 5 Years: Air Quality Life Index

Particulate pollution, therefore, is the greatest threat to human health in India, the report, published on June 14, said. 

The Wire reported on these findings on the same day. Bhargav Krishna, a fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, told The Wire that the report reinforces much of what we already know about air pollution in India.

“It is important to also examine how exposure to air pollution exacerbates existing vulnerabilities in society,” he said. “Setting up more ambitious air quality standards would be integral too.”

India needs more

Currently, the Central Pollution Control Board (the apex statutory body in India for pollution control under the MoEFCC), prescribes an annual average of 40 μg/m3 as the permissible upper limit for PM2.5 in the lower atmosphere. The international WHO standard, however, is more ambitious – 5 μg/m3.

The government has taken several steps to tackle the issue of particulate matter in India. However, they have not borne much fruit.

In 2019, for instance, the MoEFCC launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to prepare clean air action plans to reduce PM2.5 pollution by 20-30% by 2024, as compared to 2017, in 132 cities.

However, according to an NCAP report published early this year, there has been only a marginal or no improvement in air pollution levels in 132 cities since 2019. The top 10 most polluted cities from 2019 – including Ghaziabad, Delhi and Noida – continued to occupy the same list in 2021 too.

Researchers including Krishna have called for the need to develop an “airshed” approach – which will keep in mind geographies and other factors that play a role in air pollution levels – to tackle air pollution in the country.

According to a news report, the government has envisioned such an “airshed” approach as part of the “National Mission for Clean Air – Clean Air for All” under the NCAP.

The Mission will take off in 2022 and would set a new target: to reduce PM2.5 levels from 35-50% by 2025-26, as compared to 2017 levels, an official was quoted as saying. 

Delhi Air Pollution: AQI ‘Severe’ Again, Unfavourable Weather Conditions Major Factor

The air quality in the capital has remained very poor or severe on most of the days in November so far.

New Delhi: Air pollution levels in Delhi worsened on Friday morning due to unfavourable meteorological conditions – low temperature and slow wind speed – and the air quality index read 403 at 9 am, which falls in the severe category.

Low temperatures and slow surface winds allow accumulation of pollutants.

The city’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) read 400 on Thursday evening.

The air quality in the capital has remained very poor or severe on most of the days in November so far.

Delhi recorded lowest air pollution levels — in terms of 24-hour average quality index — on November 1 (AQI 281) followed by November 23 (AQI 290).

Neighbouring Faridabad (417), Ghaziabad (373), Greater Noida (378), Gurgaon (361) and Noida (383) also saw a dip in air quality on Friday morning.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and 401 and 500 severe.

Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 11 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 28 degrees Celsius.

According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ air quality monitor SAFAR, no relief is likely till Monday.

Local emissions and weather are likely to be the dominant factors controlling air quality, it said.

The Delhi government on Thursday reimposed the ban on construction and demolition activities following the Supreme Court order in this regard.

The apex court reimposed the ban on construction activities in Delhi-NCR on Wednesday until further orders.

Also read: ‘What Has Bureaucracy Been Doing?’: SC Slams Centre’s ‘Ad Hoc Mechanisms’ to Tackle Air Pollution

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the workers affected by the ban on construction activities in the national capital will be provided a financial assistance of Rs 5,000 each and his government will also compensate them for the loss of minimum wages.

The ban on construction and demolition activities was lifted on Monday in view of an improvement in the air quality and the inconvenience caused to the workers.

The Delhi government had on Wednesday decided to resume physical classes in schools, colleges and other educational institutions and reopen government offices from November 29.

The ban on the entry of trucks, barring those engaged in essential services, will continue till December 3. However, “CNG and electric trucks will be allowed to enter Delhi from November 27”.

On November 13, the city government had ordered the closure of all educational institutes, banned construction and demolition activities and asked its employees to work from home to combat air pollution and minimise its health effects.

Four days later, it extended the restrictions, besides banning the entry of trucks carrying non-essential items in Delhi.

(PTI)

NCR Air Pollution: Amid Ban on Construction, Workers’ Body Moves SC for Ex-Gratia

The National Campaign Committee for Central Legislation on Construction Labour has called the blanket ban on construction ‘irrational’, adding that the ban ought to be limited to demolition and excavation.

New Delhi: A construction workers’ body has moved the Supreme Court seeking ex-gratia relief schemes for daily workers who will suffer the loss of income due to the sudden complete ban on the sector’s activities imposed by NCR states to curb pollution caused by dust.

A blanket ban on construction activities, without identifying and excluding the ones which do not contribute towards air pollution is “irrational, arbitrary and whimsical”, said the petition filed by National Campaign Committee for Central Legislation on Construction Labour.

It alleged that despite having a dedicated corpus of Rs 2,700 crore, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi has failed to frame any ex-gratia relief scheme for the building workers for the periods when they have to give up their work due to “sudden absolute blanket bans”.

“The Government of NCT of Delhi and Government of Haryana have failed to assess and identify the pollution-causing activities. It is submitted that ideally, the ban ought to be limited to activities such as demolition and excavation only.”

“Such absolute blanket bans unnecessarily trample upon rights and livelihoods of lakhs of building workers, without contributing even an iota towards reducing air pollution,” the plea said.

The plea said the ban on construction without due notice and publicity leaves the workers completely insecure and unaware, making them ideal fodder for harassment by the implementing agencies.

“It is also noteworthy that when ‘odd-even scheme’ is to be implemented for vehicular traffic, the Government of NCT of Delhi issues advertisements for months in advance in order to enable the citizens to prepare their commuting plans for the said period, whereas, ban on the construction sector, which employs the largest number of workers in Delhi, is imposed without any notice whatsoever,” the plea said.

“The drastic indefinite nature of such bans forces the building workers and petty contractors to disobey, since, due to lack of clarity the workers and petty contractors are unable to plan and identify their sources of income for the said periods,” it added.

Watch | ‘A Lobby Is Profiting from Stubble Burning, Pushing for False Solutions’

Economist Ranjit Singh Ghuman explains the nexus formed by bureaucracy, machine manufactures, politicians, fertiliser manufacturers and some agri-scientists who have been pushing for false solutions.

In this episode of ‘Krishi Ki Baat Indra Ke Saath’, Indra Shekhar Singh is in Patiala to speak with economist Ranjit Singh Ghuman.

Ghuman takes the issue of stubble burning head-on, explaining the nexus formed by bureaucracy, machine manufactures, politicians, fertiliser manufacturers and some agri-scientists who have been responsible for exacerbating the issue.

During the interview, various solutions from gasification to direct benefit transfers (DBTs) are discussed, alongside the impact of stubble burning on rural Punjab.

 

Smog Over Delhi-NCR, Air Quality Severe Amid Unhelpful Meteorological Conditions

Green think tank Centre for Science and Environment said the ongoing smog episode is a public health emergency.

New Delhi: A layer of smog shrouded Delhi-NCR on Thursday partially blotting out the sun on Chhath Puja as the air quality slipped back into the severe zone with unfavourable meteorological conditions aiding accumulation of pollutants, authorities said.

Green think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said the ongoing smog episode is a public health emergency.

“This requires urgent emergency action on key combustion sources (vehicles, industry, waste burning) and dust sources (construction and roads) to prevent further trapping of pollution when there is no wind to blow this away,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE.

At 10 am, Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 407. Of the 39 air quality monitoring stations in the national capital, 33 recorded air pollution levels in the severe category.

The 24-hour average AQI was 372 on Wednesday.

Ghaziabad (454), Greater Noida (404) and Noida (426) also recorded severe air quality at 10 am.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.

An official from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said shallow fog and low temperatures in the morning – Delhi recorded the season’s lowest temperature of 12.6 degrees Celsius on Thursday – trapped pollutants close to the ground and calm winds led to stagnant conditions.

Visibility levels at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and the Safdarjung Airport dropped to 600-800 metres, he added.

The CSE said the current severe smog episode in Delhi-NCR is expected to last for two more days.

It also said the average daily contribution of smoke from farm fires from October 15 to November 8 was the lowest in four years.

“Compared to the first smog episode of the previous four years, the current smog has matched the duration of the first smog of 2018 and 2020 season – both lasted six days. If conditions do not improve, it might overtake the 2019 smog that lasted eight days,” the CSE said.

The longer duration of this year’s smog despite relatively windier local conditions might be due to a lack of pollution control measures in the city, the green think tank said.

On average, the contribution of smoke to Delhi’s daily PM2.5 from the middle of October to November 8 was the lowest in the last four years.

“So far, it has recorded an average of 12% (farm fire share) per day in contrast to 17% per day in 2020, 14% day in 2019 and 16% per day in 2018 (as reported by SAFAR),” the CSE said.

The share of farm fires in Delhi’s pollution rose to 48% on Sunday, the highest since November 5, 2018, when it was recorded at 58%.

Last year, the share of stubble burning in Delhi’s pollution had peaked at 42% on November 5. In 2019, crop residue burning accounted for 44% of Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution on November 1.

(PTI)

‘Delhi-NCR AQI To Fluctuate Between Very Poor and Severe This Week’: CPCB

The CPCB directed the governments of Delhi, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan to ensure strict implementation of GRAP measures, including sprinkling water on roads.

New Delhi: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Monday reviewed the air quality in Delhi-NCR observing that the contribution of stubble burning may rise in the next five days with the AQI fluctuating between ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories.

The central pollution watchdog also observed that substantially high emissions due to the bursting of firecrackers during Diwali, local factors and stubble burning led to the decline in the air quality of Delhi to the ‘severe’ category.

Taking stock of the situation, the CPCB directed the governments of Delhi, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan to ensure strict implementation of GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) measures including the sprinkling of water on roads.

Implementing agencies have been asked to submit daily reports to concerned state pollution control boards and committees.

During the virtual meeting of the sub-committee on Monday, its chairperson, CPCB Member Secretary Prashant Gargava, observed that due to sudden and unforeseeable change in meteorological factors, substantially high emissions on account of bursting of firecrackers and other local sources and high contribution of stubble burning, the air quality of Delhi declined to ‘severe’ but it is in ‘very poor’ category now.

Also read: The Govt Has Spent Crores but Failed To Find a Viable Alternative To Stubble Burning in Punjab

The sub-committee reviewed air quality status as well as meteorological and air pollution forecasts.

“As per IMD’s forecast, winds are expected to be north-westerly for the next five days which may possibly lead to a high contribution of stubble burning, the CPCB said, adding the air quality may fluctuate between the higher end of ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ category in the coming days.

It directed the authorities to increase the frequency of mechanised cleaning of roads and sprinkling of water on roads and ensure that all brick kilns, hot mix plants and stone crushers are closed in Delhi-NCR.

It directed the states to maximise the generation of power from existing natural gas-based plants to reduce the operation of coal-based power plants in the NCR and intensify public transport services and introduce differential rates to encourage off-peak travel.

States to disseminate information about air pollution levels and for creating awareness among citizens regarding steps to minimise air pollution.

“Implementing agencies, at appropriate level, must closely monitor actions taken and submit a daily report to concerned state pollution control boards and pollution control committees (SPCB/PCCs) which will review and further submit reports to Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and CPCB, the pollution watchdog said.

(PTI) 

‘We Can’t Allow People to Suffer and Die’: SC to Firecracker Makers Over Use of Barium

A bench of the apex court termed the usage of barium as a ‘flagrant violation’ of the court’s earlier orders banning the use of toxic chemicals in the production of firecrackers.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday, September 29 slammed six leading manufacturers of firecrackers in the country for their usage of barium and barium salts after taking into account a preliminary inquiry report submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), LiveLaw has reported.

A bench including Justices M.R Shah and A.S Bopanna deemed it a ‘flagrant violation’ of the court’s February 2017 orders prohibiting the use of hazardous toxic chemicals in the production of firecrackers. The CBI report further claimed that manufacturers were also distorting the labelling process for such products.

The court said, “Considering the report submitted by the CBI, it prima facie appears that the court’s earlier orders on use of barium/barium salts as well as orders passed by the court on labelling fireworks have been violated.”

According to the report, Justice Shah, while emphasising the problem of air pollution caused by the bursting of crackers stated that the court regulations for green crackers have not been executed. He said that the court was not issuing any new order but rather only seeking compliance with its previous order.

“We have to take a balanced view looking at the country because every day there is a celebration. We have to see other factors also, we cannot allow people to suffer and die. There are people suffering from asthma and other diseases… children are also suffering,” the judge said.

Additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF) told the court that the ministry will ensure future compliance with earlier court regulations.

The court ordered a CBI inquiry into the issue after receiving several complaints in March 2020. As per the report, the court has given an opportunity to the manufacturers of firecrackers to file a counter-affidavit before the next hearing to present their case which is scheduled for October 6, 2021.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) on Tuesday has ordered a complete ban on the sale and bursting of firecrackers in the national capital till January 1, 2022. The air quality in Delhi deteriorates every year due to the bursting of firecrackers during Diwali and stubble burning in neighbouring states.