The Supreme Court on Thursday asked Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) states to take a final call on prohibiting the use of firecrackers throughout the year.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih asked the Delhi government and other NCR states - Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan - to place their decisions on record before the top court.
The bench said that a ban is required not only to curb air pollution but noise pollution as well.
It noted that the issue regarding the ban on the use of firecrackers in NCR states is yet to be addressed.
"We direct the concerned state governments to place their decisions regarding a complete ban on the use of firecrackers throughout the year," said the bench.
The top court added that when it refers to a ban on the use of firecrackers, it will also include a ban on the manufacture, storage, sale and distribution of them.
The top court was hearing the case relating to air pollution in the national capital.
In order to curb air pollution, it also suggested that government departments should start using electric vehicles.
The top court also ordered that its earlier order on the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) will continue until further orders and also directed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CQAM) to proceed with the implementation of the modified measures to improve air quality in Delhi.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi's air quality continued to deteriorate on Saturday, remaining in the "poor" category for the fifth consecutive day, with nine monitoring stations falling in the red zone of the "very poor" category as pollution levels spiked ahead of Diwali.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) around Akshardham was recorded at 230, in the 'Poor' category, in Delhi this morning as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Delhi's air quality remained in the 'poor' category for the fourth consecutive day on Friday as the city continued to reel under rising pollution levels in the run-up to Diwali.
As pollution levels rise across Indian cities, understanding what Air Quality Index (AQI) numbers mean is key to protecting your health.
Delhi's winter anti-pollution plan for 2025-26 is now active, with authorities stepping up measures across dust control, vehicles, construction, industry, waste, and stubble burning as the city braces for seasonal pollution.
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