Arresting those bursting firecrackers not a solution, Supreme Court tells police

Filing cases against firecracker-bursting during festivals may not be the solution, says Supreme Court. Need to find source & stop it.

The Supreme Court on September 14 said filing cases against persons bursting firecrackers during festivals such as Deepavali might not be the solution against the dangers fireworks pose to health and environment.

“Cases against persons bursting firecrackers may not be the solution. You will have to find the source from where it [firecrackers] is coming and stop that,” Justice A.S. Bopanna, heading a Special Bench comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh, addressed the Delhi police.

The court was reacting to a report submitted by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, for the Delhi police, on the number of cases registered against sale, storage and bursting of crackers and number of persons arrested, etc.

The police statistics presented in the apex court showed that from 2016 to August 31, 2023, 926 cases were registered for sale and storage of firecrackers and 3,120 cases filed for bursting crackers.

The police have arrested 2,616 persons for bursting crackers and 740 for sale and storage.

The police said a whopping 51,692.413 kg of firecrackers were seized in Delhi from 2016 to August 2023.

The huge inflow of crackers is despite a ban imposed on them by the Supreme Court. The National Green Tribunal had also followed suit. The Delhi government has also prohibited the sale and bursting of firecrackers.