The Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted its ban on the sale of firecrackers in the National Capital Region for the time being, but said only 500 temporary licences will be issued before Dussehra and Diwali. The bench said it would review its ban order after Diwali, depending on the air quality of the city, reported PTI.
The order came after a plea filed by firecracker manufacturers. On November 11, 2016, the Supreme Court had ordered a ban on the sale of firecrackers in Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region because of the rising pollution.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday added that firecrackers cannot be brought into Delhi-NCR from other states. The court said as there were enough fireworks available for sale in Delhi and NCR, “the transport of fireworks into Delhi and NCR from outside the region is prohibited”.
A bench of Justice MB Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta, said, “Keeping in mind the adverse effects of air pollution, the human right to breathe clean air and the human right to health, the Central Government and other authorities should consider encouraging display of fireworks through community participation rather than individual bursting of fireworks.”
What happened in the NCR last Diwali
Air quality in Delhi-NCR saw an alarming drop after Diwali celebrations on October 30, 2016. As a result of the smog, schools remained closed for three days from November 7. The National Green Tribunal had also declared an environmental emergency in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
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