The National Green Tribunal on Tuesday rejected a plea against the Supreme Court’s ban on firecracker sales in Delhi and the National Capital Region till November 1, PTI reported. The tribunal said the Supreme Court’s order was the “law of the land”.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar was hearing a plea filed by Ojaswi Party, asking for firecracker shops to be reopened.
The plea called the ban “an attack on our religious tradition”. “The fireworks shops have been closed even after the negligible pollution in the firecrackers…the police and the government have attacked the Hindu religion by shutting fireworks shops on Diwali,” the plea said.
On October 9, the Supreme Court reinstated a ban on the sale of firecrackers during Diwali celebrations in Delhi and NCR, saying it wants to assess the difference in air quality in the highly polluted region. Later, the court refused to withdraw its order when a group of traders filed a petition against the ban.
The order followed the Supreme Court’s temporary relaxation of the 2016 ban in September, when the bench had said that a complete ban would be “extreme” and stressed the need for a phased reduction in the use of fire crackers.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!