NGT’s ban on sale and bursting of firecrackers shows, once again, the episodic, piecemeal manner in which governments and the judiciary tackle air pollution. Sudden bans not only catch the industry off guard, but also fail in enforcement. A larger policy on firecrackers, which addresses the problem nationally, is needed.
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We breathe such lethal air, especially in winter, a complete, permanent, nationwide ban on firecrackers gets my support. At a time when the coronavirus is again surging, anything which hurts the lungs is to be avoided. The new Commission appointed for the NCR should set simple, quantifiable benchmarks for chronic problems like stubble burning and work diligently to get us there. India should not be building any more coal fired power plants.