MUMBAI, Oct. 22 -- The Bombay High Court on Wednesday pulled up the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) for failing to issue public notices regarding its recent order banning the bursting of firecrackers in public places, including streets, lanes and footpaths. "The wheels of the official machinery appear to be turning too slowly to comply even with the basic preliminary compliances as ordered by the court," a division bench of justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale said. The bench noted that neither authority had taken any steps to inform citizens about the firecracker ban through newspapers, electronic and social media, and other platforms, as directed by the court on October 15. The judges also expressed concern about the police's failure to enforce restrictions on noise pollution, particularly during religious processions. "There appear to be routine violations of the orders passed by this court, particularly in relation to religious processions and burning of firecrackers on public streets," the bench noted. The court directed the Mumbai police commissioner to convene a meeting with all officers in charge of police stations, bring to their attention the court's orders, and prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlining actions to be taken in response to the violations. It clarified that the officers are to be specifically instructed to ensure the meticulous implementation of the directions prohibiting processions that use sound systems without the appropriate licence being displayed. "The officers shall also be apprised of the total ban imposed on the bursting of firecrackers during festivities on public streets, roads, etc., as directed in the order dated October 15, 2026," the court said. It directed the police commissioner to file an affidavit assuring that the "court's orders shall be implemented in letter and spirit". "Unless the officers are duly apprised of the orders passed by the court, effective implementation of the orders cannot take place, thereby causing severe annoyance and disturbance to the public at large, apart from breach of their legal rights as observed by us," the bench observed. The court was hearing a suo motu petition taken up in September concerning noise pollution caused by religious processions in Mumbai and other cities across Maharashtra. On October 15, the court had ordered a year-round ban on bursting firecrackers in public places, while directing the state government, BMC and MPCB to spread awareness about noise and air pollution through public announcements, notices and display boards on public transport. It had also urged citizens to use green, low-emission firecrackers....