Supreme Court Refuses to Modify Order on Firecrackers

Only green firecrackers with reduced emission and decibel levels will be permitted, the Supreme Court reiterated.

Only green firecrackers with reduced emission and decibel levels will be permitted, the Supreme Court has said.

(Image: PTI)

The Supreme Court on Wednesday, 31 October, clarified that no firecrackers other than green crackers will be sold in the Delhi-NCR region this festival season.

A bench of Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said that firecrackers already produced can be sold in this festival season, but only in other parts of the country.

In Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and other southern states, firecrackers can be burst from 4 am to 5 am and from 9 pm to 10 pm during festivals, the apex court said.

It said its direction on community bursting of firecrackers will apply pan India for two hours.

The court’s direction on the ban on sale of firecrackers through e-commerce websites will also apply pan India, SC said.

The Supreme Court had on Tuesday, 23 October, permitted the sale and manufacture of low emission “safe and green” firecrackers countrywide and fixed a two-hour time period from 8 pm to 10 pm for bursting them on Diwali.

On Christmas and New Year, the use of firecrackers will be allowed only between 11:55 pm to 12:30 am.

The bench comprising Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan also restrained e-commerce websites from selling firecrackers that were beyond the permissible limit.