The Bombay High Court said on Monday that Bollywood celebrities should not be paid with public money to participate in awareness campaigns against air and noise pollution caused by firecrackers.
The Bombay High Court questioned why celebrities who attend the annual Mumbai Police event ‘Umang’ could not spare 15 minutes for a social cause.
During a hearing on Mumbai’s rising air pollution and the use of firecrackers during Navratri, a division bench of Justice Girish Kulkarni and Justice Neela Gokhale were displeased after being informed that celebrities charge hefty fees for participating in such campaigns. It suggested approaching Marathi actors, if necessary, given that they agree to participate in the campaign without a fee. READ | ‘Illegal Parallel System’: Maharashtra Takes Top Food Safety Body To Court The bench also questioned why celebrities who attend the annual Mumbai Police event ‘Umang’ could not spare 15 minutes for a social cause. The court also took note of the BMC’s proposal to set up a helpline number, 1916, for complaints related to the issue.
Additional Government Pleader Jyoti Chavan informed the court that some Bollywood celebrities had already appealed to people through Instagram not to burst firecrackers, to which the court said they should also be willing to participate in the government’s awareness campaign free of cost.
