“We are in a situation where life itself is a danger,” the Supreme Court has said.
New Delhi:
The Supreme Court today rejected a plea against an order of the Calcutta High Court against the ban on firecrackers, saying that “life itself is in danger.”
“We understand that these festivals are important. We are in a situation where life itself is a danger … There can be no greater value than the preservation of life itself,” said Judge DY Chandrachud of the two-member bench. Judge Indira Banerjee is the other judge on the court.
“There can be nothing more important than the preservation of life in the current pandemic. Life itself is now in danger and people should come together to address the problem,” the high court said.
The Supreme Court heard today via video link an appeal against the order of the Calcutta High Court of November 5 that prohibits the use of firecrackers in West Bengal for Diwali, Kali Puja and Chhatt Puja. The ban was imposed in light of the coronavirus pandemic that has gripped the world.
That Superior Court order followed several Public Interest Litigation allegations seeking a comprehensive ban on fireworks to control air pollution. The Trinamool congressional government, led by Mamata Banerjee, had also asked the people to refrain from burning firecrackers.
On Tuesday, the Calcutta High Court refused to receive a sentence for a two-hour period for the outbreak of firecrackers during Diwali and Kali Puja. He ordered the police to take action against anyone who sold or bought those items.
West Bengal has been adding more than 3,000 new COVID-19 cases every day since mid-August and has never seen a decline. With 4.1 lakh of confirmed cases, the state has the eighth highest number of cases in the country at the moment. But in terms of active cases, it is fourth, after Maharashtra, Kerala and Delhi.
In addition to West Bengal, several other states, including Delhi, Odisha, Rajasthan and Sikkim, have outlawed firecrackers mainly due to the coronavirus.
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