The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed the sale and bursting of green firecrackers in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) during the upcoming Diwali festival.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai and Justice Vinod Chandran directed that the sale of green crackers shall be permitted from October 18 to October 20.
The Court further stated that the bursting of such firecrackers will be allowed from 6 am to 7 am and 8 pm to 10 pm on two days — the day before Diwali and on Diwali.
"Sale of green cracker will be permitted from 18th October to 20th October. Police authority to constitute patrolling team to keep an eye that only permitted products with QR codes are to be sold. Violation notice to be attached for persons who violate the rules. Use firecrackers shall be confined to 6 am to 7 am and 8pm to 10pm on the day before Diwali and on Diwali day," the order said.
The Bench further added that there shall be no supply of firecrackers through e-commerce websites.
The Court passed this order after noting that a complete ban results in the smuggling of crackers, which causes more harm to air quality.
Earlier, due to the ongoing issue of poor air quality in Delhi, the Court had prohibited the use of firecrackers in the capital. In April this year, the Court had remarked that unless it was convinced that green crackers cause minimal pollution, there would be no question of reconsidering its previous orders.
However, the Court last month permitted the manufacture of green firecrackers while maintaining the restriction on their sale in prohibited zones.
The governments of Delhi and neighbouring states, along with the manufacturers, had approached the Court seeking directions to allow the use of green crackers in Delhi and other regions during Diwali. They also proposed similar relaxations for Christmas, Gurpurab, and New Year’s Eve.
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