Fireworks pollution: Green Tribunal issues notice to 18 states and Union Territories
HYDERABAD: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday reserved its orders regarding pollution caused by the use of firecrackers beyond the National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi and issued notices to 18 states and Union Territories, including Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, where air quality does not meet the Central Pollution Control Board norms.
The Tribunal said its orders would be uploaded on its website by 10.30 am on November 9. The states and UTs have been asked to file reports with the NGT by 4 pm on Friday.
The NGT, continuing its hearing from Wednesday, said “We have heard from learned Amicus, Raj Panjwani appearing for the MoEF, CPCB and the States/UTs/PCBs/PCCs, and Mahesh Jethmalani appearing for Indian Fireworks Manufacturers’ Association. Any counsel can file further notes of submissions by 4 pm on Friday, if so desired.”
It might be recalled that the NGT on Wednesday had expanded the ambit of hearing cases on pollution by use of firecrackers beyond the NCR and issued notices to several states and Union Territories.
The green panel sought response from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
The tribunal said it may have to consider prohibiting the use of firecrackers to protect the health of the vulnerable groups in 122 non-attainment cities—of which even Hyderabad is one-- where air quality, as per record maintained by the CPCB, is generally beyond permissible limits.
In 2019, post-Diwali, the air in Hyderabad had plunged to the very ‘poor’ category. The Particulate Matter 2.5 microns in thickness (PM2.5) were three times above the permitted levels and PM10 twice above the acceptable levels compared to the week before the festival.
