The Supreme Court has granted limited permission to burn firecrackers in Delhi and its surrounding areas ahead of Diwali. The court has stated that only green firecrackers will be permitted during this period.
Supreme Court allows burning of green crackers on Diwali.
This year, people in Delhi-NCR will be able to burst firecrackers on Diwali. Like last year, the Supreme Court has granted temporary permission to burn green firecrackers. The court noted that firecrackers cause pollution, but despite the ban, the illegal sale of traditional firecrackers continues. Therefore, instead of a ban, it would be better to regulate the manufacture, sale, and use of green firecrackers.
A bench of Justices M.M. Sundaresh and Prasanna B. Varale directed that firecrackers may be burned between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. and between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on November 7th and 8th. Firecrackers will be prohibited within 300 meters of hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and silence zones. A complete ban on the sale of firecrackers will be imposed starting November 9th.
Manufacture of green crackers only from November 2 to 6
The order states that green firecrackers can be manufactured from November 2nd to 6th. However, only CSIR-NEERI and PESO-certified manufacturers will be able to produce these firecrackers. Each firecracker box will be required to have a QR code identifying the product and batch. Strings, barium-containing, and non-certified firecrackers will be prohibited. Online sales will also not be permitted.
The Supreme Court has directed the administration to actively monitor and prevent the sale of illegal firecrackers. It also requires reviewing the pollution situation. It also requires collecting data on the number of patients in hospitals and submitting a report to the court by December 14th.
A complete ban is not the solution.
Earlier on Thursday, the Supreme Court reprimanded the Delhi government and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for failing to properly enforce restrictions on the sale and use of firecrackers. The court reiterated that a blanket ban is not the solution to the problem of pollution during the festive season .
