‘Why raise concerns only during Hindu festivals?’ 

Several Resident Welfare Associations attempted to dissuade people from bursting crackers, many were seen defying the prohibition.

Shaswat, a resident of Defence Colony, said that Deepavali is the biggest festival of Hindus and “the government and Supreme Court cannot ban the celebrations”.

“Why are environmental concerns raised only when it is a Hindu festival and not when people from other religions celebrate their festivals?” he said, adding that the Delhi government should instead focus on long-term solutions as “citizens will not curtail their celebrations”. Some residents insisted that the crackers were not for them but for their children.

However, the bursting of crackers drew complaints from many other residents who observed the ban. Kalkaji resident Shreya Verma said, “Because of some people who do not care about the environment, others have to suffer by inhaling toxic air. People forget that there are other ways to celebrate too.”