The Supreme Court today said that the right to health is a fundamental right of citizens and no religion encourages pollution. A two-judge bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih stated that every citizen’s right to live in a pollution-free environment is safeguarded under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. Further, while questioning the authorities for their failure to implement the ban on firecrackers in Delhi during Diwali, the apex court directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to take immediate action to ban firecrackers and form a special cell to ensure the effective implementation of the ban.

Last week, the court issued a notice to the Delhi government and Police to explain why they failed to implement and enforce the ban on firecrackers. The court observed that the ban is announced before Diwali every year but it has little or no effect.