The Supreme Court reserved its judgment on the Delhi-NCR firecracker ban today, delivering a sharp rebuke to the government for failing to enforce previous orders. Justices MM Sundresh and PB Varale called the annual hearing an "academic exercise," noting that court directives are violated more often than they are obeyed. The bench concluded that traditional orders are failing and demanded a shift toward "innovative" solutions.
The turnkey solution proposed by the court? Celebrity intervention. The judges explicitly named cricketer Virat Kohli, stating that prominent sports personalities must be roped in to sensitize the public. "In schools, there should be education in this regard... prominent personalities, especially sports personalities like Virat Kohli must be roped in for creating awareness," the bench said. The court argued that the younger generation is skeptical of standard regulatory threats and needs a more relatable message to curb pollution.
The government faced a grilling over its lack of accountability. Additional Solicitor General Aishwaria Bhati struggled to provide a comprehensive compliance report for last year's ban. The court demanded specifics: details of enforcement teams, dates of inspections, and data on prosecutions against sellers of banned Chinese firecrackers. "I feel our orders are followed more in breach," Justice Sundresh observed, warning that the court would not exist forever to issue reminders.
The legal battle continues as the court seeks to balance the cultural importance of Diwali with environmental necessity. The government must now submit a detailed enforcement mechanism to the court, moving beyond mere promises to tangible action against violators. The final order on whether a ban will remain in place for this year's Diwali awaits the court's decision on these new compliance parameters.