The Bombay High Court today directed the Municipal Corporations of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to ensure that firecrackers are not burst beyond the period of 7 PM to 10 PM in the wake of the rising air pollution in the city. During the hearing, Justice Kulkarni, underlining the need for a decisive action plan to combat pollution, remarked, “We have to make a choice. The Chief Justice (CJ) leading the bench remarked, "We propose to stop it till Friday. Let's see if it makes a difference. If it does, we will continue it. Or then allow full compliance."
Experts have noted that Mumbai's air quality has been in a worrying state since the end of the monsoon season and the onset of early winter in October. Other cities in Maharashtra, including Nagpur, Pune, Aurangabad, and Nashik, have also reported poor air quality, contributing to the overall air pollution problem in the state, as per IANS. Earlier, the Karnataka state government in its latest decision has directed officials to restrict the bursting of crackers this Deepawali festival between 8pm and 10pm only. This comes in the backdrop of a tragedy in Attibele recently, wherein as many as 17 people lost their lives when a cracker go-down caught fire.Pollution control board officials in Karnataka came down hard on sellers of non-eco-friendly crackers and constituted a special task force to ensure sale of only "green” ones. Diwali 2023 is set to be observed on 12 November, by the devotees.