New Delhi, Sept. 13 -- The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the rationale behind having a firecracker ban exclusive to Delhi and the National Capital Region, emphasising that the Capital cannot receive special treatment simply because the elite reside there, as it sought the Centre's response on applications challenging the year-long prohibition. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Bhushan R Gavai, also comprising justice K Vinod Chandran, observed: "If citizens in NCR are entitled to pollution-free air, why not so for people in other cities." The CJI recounted a winter visit to Amritsar's Golden Temple, where he was told that pollution was worse there than in Delhi. "Just because Delhi is the Capital city and Supreme Court is situated here, should citizens in other cities not get pollution-free air?" the bench remarked. The observations came while hearing applications by firecracker manufacturers and citizen bodies objecting to the court's April 3 order, which confirmed its earlier December 19, 2024 ban on sale, manufacture, and storage of firecrackers in Delhi and NCR districts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan. "Whatever policy on banning firecrackers is there, it should be pan-India. We cannot have a special policy for Delhi where the elites are there. If firecrackers are to be banned, they should be banned throughout the country. There should be the same policy throughout the country," the bench stated. Expanding the ban will mean all firecrackers could be outlawed across the country -- though its implementation will be challenging, as has been the case in Delhi where each of the past seven Diwalis have had illegal use of firecrackers. Conversely, if the policy is relaxed to bring it in line with the restrictions elsewhere, it could pave the way for the first firecrackers to be burst legally in the Capital since 2018. The court asked the Commission for Air Quality Management to respond to the applications and posted the matter for September 22, ahead of the Dussehra and Diwali festivals. The applicants-Federation of Fireworks Traders, Association of Fireworks (Haryana), and Indic Collective Trust-led by advocates Dama Sesadari Naidu and K Parameshwar, sought permission to lift the ban and allow green crackers with reduced emissions. But, the court refused to alter its April 3 ban 3, even denying green firecracker formulations after reviewing a Centre report that claimed that these alternatives had only 30% less emission compared to conventional firecrackers. The April order stated that unless pollution caused by green crackers was "bare minimum", there was no question of lifting the ban, which was "absolutely essential" considering the "horrible" air quality in Delhi-NCR....