Supreme Court Criticized for Prioritizing Firecracker Rights Over Air Quality: Amitabh Kant Warns of Delhi's Environmental Crisis

Amitabh Kant has expressed concern that the Supreme Court prioritized the right to burn firecrackers over citizens' right to breathe clean air.

New Delhi:

Amitabh Kant, who served as India's G20 Sherpa in 2023 and previously led the government think tank NITI Aayog, has declared that Delhi's air quality "lies in shambles" and warned that only "ruthless and sustained execution" of pollution control measures can protect Delhi from an impending "health and environmental catastrophe." He critically noted that the Supreme Court appeared to favor the "right to burn crackers over the right to live and breathe."

These pointed comments follow a night of widespread firecracker use that left the national capital blanketed in toxic smog. According to Central Pollution Control Board data, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 357 by 1 pm, placing it firmly in the 'very poor' category.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court lifted restrictions on firecracker use, allowing Delhi residents to use green crackers during Diwali celebrations. The court stated it was taking a "balanced approach" that considered "conflicting interests" while attempting not to "compromise the environmental concerns."

Though the court permitted firecracker use only between specific hours (6 am-7am and 8 pm-10 pm) over two days, residents across Delhi-NCR reported hearing fireworks well beyond midnight.

In his social media post, Kant highlighted that 36 out of 38 monitoring stations had entered the "red zone," with AQI exceeding 400 in key areas. He questioned why Delhi couldn't achieve air quality improvements similar to Los Angeles, Beijing, and London, noting that Delhi remains "among the world's most polluted capital."

Kant advocated for a comprehensive action plan that would address multiple pollution sources: ending crop and biomass burning, modernizing thermal power plants and brick kilns with cleaner technology, transitioning all transport to electric by 2030, enforcing strict construction dust control measures, ensuring complete waste management, and redesigning Delhi around green, pedestrian-friendly, transit-focused living areas.

Morning visuals across Delhi revealed a thick layer of smog, prompting many social media users to attribute the worsened air quality to firecracker use. Others contested this view, arguing that stubble burning in neighboring states remains the primary pollution source and questioned why Diwali celebrations were being disproportionately blamed.