Festivals may be important and may serve social purpose, nonetheless, people’s lives are most important. Making this observation after hearing a PIL petition, the Telangana High Court on Thursday instructed the government to immediately ban sale and use of fireworks in the State. A Bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy directed the government to appeal to people through print and electronic media not to burst firecrackers to check further deterioration of air quality.
The Bench directed the government to inform it by November 19 about the steps taken to enforce the HC direction. A lawyer P. Indra Prakash from Kukatpally of Hyderabad filed the PIL seeking an order to ban sale and use of firecrackers in the backdrop of COVID pandemic. He contended that coronavirus affects lungs of a person and damages other organs of the body.
With infected lungs, patients find it difficult to breathe. The petitioner-in-person argued that fireworks pollute the air. As winter has set in, the pollution particles emanating from bursting firecrackers tend to hang in the air. This affects health of people and turns out to be dangerous for COVID-19 patients, Mr. Prakash said.
Advocate General B. Siva Prasad, replying to queries raised by the bench, said the government had not taken any policy decision on use of firecrackers during Deepavali festival. It hoped that people would observe safety precautions for COVID-19, the AG said.
The Bench noted that the entire country including the State was struggling to control the pandemic while many believe the second wave of the pandemic has commenced. Coronavirus affects respiratory system and use of firecrackers brings down the air quality. Already, Rajasthan government and other High Courts banned use of firecrackers, the bench said.
Observing that uncontrolled and untrammelled use of fireworks jeopardise people’s lives, the HC instructed the government to immediately clampdown and close all shops selling fireworks throughout the State.
