Supreme court has been on a roll lately. Some path-breaking decisions have been made by the supreme court in the past 3-4 months. Right from the abolishment of section 377 to the recent judgment of limiting the time for burning crackers to just two hours, there have been some judgments which grabbed the attention of each and every citizen in the country. So, recently supreme court passed a judgment reducing the time for burning crackers this Diwali to just two hours i.e 8 PM to 10 PM. The supreme court also made the sale of "green and improved" fireworks mandatory at least in the national capital region (NCR).
'Green and improved' fireworks means the fireworks manufactured without harmful chemicals such as lithium, arsenic, antimony, lead etc. These chemicals cause major air pollution and also are harmful to humans. So, in places like New Delhi where air pollution has been a major problem, they made 'Green fireworks' mandatory. Not only for Diwali, but people also have to follow this two-hour window even for other festivals and even weddings. On Christmas and New Year's Eve, the celebration (using crackers) window will open at 11:55 PM and will close at 12:30 PM across the country. Anyone bursting crackers beyond the designated time can be penalized by the police of that particular area.
This definitely affects the business of thousands of people whose main source of income is the manufacturing of crackers. There are people who strive hard for the whole year just to make earnings for that one month. Regulation of timings is really a major issue for the cracker manufacturers. So, the public had varied opinions to this judgment by the supreme court.
Pollution has been a major issue in our country lately. It's not just about Diwali, for every major traditional event like Ganesh chathurthi, mixing of ashes in the river Ganges, there are issues regarding the pollution of water bodies. But, there have been certain measures taken like 'The cleaning of river Ganges', 'Ganesh idols made of clay' etc. Even for Diwali, there have been certain measures that are being followed every year but the amount of pollution that is being caused is so high that it requires a major change. That is the main reason why the supreme court has imposed such strict laws.
Some say that 'Pollution caused by celebrating Diwali for just a day is not serious at all', Some say that 'Things are turning out to be adverse and this problem needs to be addressed right away'. India is a country where not just people are diversified but also the thoughts and opinions of the people. Just like how we are celebrating Ganesh Chathurthi these days using eco-friendly Ganesha, it is okay to alter our festival schedule a bit and follow the two-hour window for the betterment of the environment.
