The Bombay High Court on Tuesday banned firecrackers on public roads day and night, stating that festivals must be celebrated without causing noise and air pollution, news reports stated.

The bench of Justice Girish Kulkarni and Justice Neela Gokhale, hearing the matter amid the Ganesh festival, said the use of loudspeakers, DJs and laser beams during religious processions was “completely unwarranted”. To quote straight from a report, the judges quite rightly asked, “Are we going to get additional blessings from God by using all these loudspeakers and firecrackers? As a responsible society, we should put an end to all this,” the High Court said.