Cacophonous times need measures to instil serenity. That is what the highest court of the land has indicated by declining to hear an urgent petition against the blanket ban on firecrackers in the National Capital Region. The prohibitory order on the production, storage, sale and bursting of all types of crackers, including green ones, backed up by punitive actions for violations, was put in place by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee on September 14 and will be in effect till January 1, 2023, in view of the escalating pollution levels. There is a case for implementing such stringent measures all over the country. The decision to uphold the primacy of public health — the greater good — over revenue and livelihood issues has become a necessity given the deleterious effects that firecrackers have. They worsen air pollution which, according to some estimates, killed nearly 17 lakh people three years ago. The accompanying noise pollution is an additional threat, especially to the elderly, the infirm and animals. Public safety has periodically been compromised too by crackers: in Kerala, an explosion from fire crackers led to the death of 100 people some years ago.

While upholding the ban, one of the presiding judges of the top court enunciated that there are other ways of celebrating Diwali than bursting crackers. What he was pointing to in all probability was the public inertia to follow the directives of the courts that have repeatedly striven to rein in this unfortunate enthusiasm for boisterousness. Therein lies the root of the problem. Policy must frame interventions to educate people against the harmful effects of the myriad sources of pollution during Diwali. These campaigns — why not engage municipalities along with the police in the task? — must be operated throughout the year. Additionally, there must be investments in scientific research to roll out alternatives. ‘Green’ crackers — the Supreme Court had overturned a Calcutta High Court order for a blanket ban last year to allow green crackers — have been described by environmentalists as ‘crackers in disguise’. Several states — West Bengal is an instance — do not have an approved manufacturer. There must be greater assessments of their quality. Worryingly, the wisdom of the courts’ has also been challenged by the political fraternity on occasions. For instance, the cracker ban was given a communal overtone by those sympathetic to the ruling dispensation. This is a classic example of politicians playing with fire — quite literally.