Old Delhi’s Patakha Vendors Angry as SC Refuses to End Ban

This year, Delhiites will have to celebrate Diwali without crackers. As a pollution control measure, the Supreme Court has banned the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR until 31 October.

With their stocks piled up for the biggest event of the year, firecracker vendors are facing a challenge. In old Delhi’s markets, businessmen and labourers express anger at the ban, owing to the loss they are to suffer.

Last year, the court had imposed a ban on 11 November. However, this year on 13 September, the court lifted the ban, only to reimpose it again on 9 October. Had the court not removed the ban in the first place, we wouldn’t have invested money and suffered a loss thereafter.

Ajay Kumar, firecracker seller, Jama Masjid

Firecracker Traders Move Court

Some of the affected traders had appealed in the Supreme Court to lift the ban that can incur severe loss on them.

In their appeal, traders asserted that the ban was lifted on the 12 September, which allowed them to invest in the business ahead of the Diwali. However, Supreme Court refused to change it’s order.

Supreme Court refuses to modify its earlier order on sale of firecrackers, ban on sale to continue till further hearing in the case. pic.twitter.com/tkjnWMp8ou

— ANI (@ANI) October 13, 2017

Daily wage workers who are employed by the businessmen trading in firecrackers complain of no income this festive season.

We have been working here for the past 20 years. We migrated from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi in search of employment. With the coming of this ban, our living is affected. How will the owner of the firecracker shop pay us, if we don’t sell anything? In such circumstances, we will have to return back to our villages.

Jalaluddin, Seller

Supreme Court has announced that the ban will be lifted from 1 November, after which the sale of firecrackers will be permitted. The basic intention behind the ban is to check how pollution in the region is affected without the heightened use of firecrackers on Diwali.

Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

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