Diwali 2017: Clean environment should not be the responsibility of the Supreme Court, says Assocham

In the wake of rising pollution due to bursting of firecrackers, industry body Assocham today said clean environment should be a combined responsibility of the Centre, state governments, civil society and public at large, and not of the apex court alone.

The industry body said enforcement of the Supreme court order banning sale of firecrackers should have been ensured by the Union Environment Ministry, Delhi government, the state governments of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana in the entire NCR.

Air pollution in the capital soared to alarming levels on Diwali night, reaching as much as five times over the safe limit because of bursting of firecrackers despite a Supreme Court ban on their sale in the NCR, said a survey.

“The economic interest of the traders and the manufacturers was involved but once the Supreme Court banned sale of fire crackers, the enforcement of the order should have been ensured by the Union Environment Ministry, Delhi Government, state governments of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana in the entire NCR,” Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.

Stating that the air pollution in the NCR was 18 times more than the limit allowed, Assocham said though there was a voluntary compliance in the select areas, the ban …read more