Overview
- A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant on Monday said it is not inclined to impose a blanket ban in Delhi-NCR and favoured measures that can be enforced on the ground.
- The court recommended awareness campaigns, restricting the sale or use of the most polluting cracker types, and promoting low-pollution alternatives such as sparklers and lighting lamps.
- Amicus Aparajita Singh warned that time-limited or tightly worded restrictions will fail without realistic enforcement and urged that medical and scientific evidence be examined by the Commission for Air Quality Management.
- The Centre agreed to file an updated status report on stubble burning and related steps to curb seasonal pollution, and the case is listed for further hearing on October 15.
- This direction follows long-running suo motu proceedings on Delhi-NCR air quality, which build on the Supreme Court's 2015 orders on manufacture, sale and use of firecrackers and broader pollution sources.