NEW DELHI: In order to control excessive pollution in Delhi, the Supreme Court has decided to temporary ban the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR region during this Diwali,dealing a blow to the traders and businessmen dealing in them. Giving out the order, the top court maintained that its last month’s order, which lifted the stay and allowed the sale of firecrackers, would come into effective only from November 1, 12 days after the ‘festival of lights’.
As per the latest order the Supreme Court has “forthwith” suspended temporary licences issued by the police for sale of firecrackers pursuant to the order of September 12. The order assumes consequences as the court observed that “the air quality deteriorates abysmally and alarmingly and the city chokes thereby” due to the adverse effects of bursting of fire crackers.
A bench headed by Justice A K Sikri also observed that the November 11, 2016 order suspending the licences “should be given one chance to test itself” to see if it would have a positive effect, particularly during Diwali. The court had last year suspended the licenses of all the traders permitting the sale of crackers, wholesale and retail within the territory of NCR till further orders.
“This order prevailed during the year but the impact and effect of this order remains to be tested on Diwali days,” stated the bench. “Going by these considerations, we are of the opinion that the judgment dated September 12, 2017 passed by this court should come into force only from November.
