Supreme Court lifts ban on sale of firecrackers in Delhi NCR

The Supreme Court on 12 September lifted the ban on the sale of fire crackers in Delhi and the NCR region.

The top court also allowed the Delhi Police to issue a licence to shopkeepers for sale of firecrackers, adding that the number of licences issued should not exceed 500.

The top court also made it clear that there would be no firecrackers in the silence zones.

The court also directed to constitute a committee, which will be chaired by the Chairperson of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), consisting of eight other officers to submit a report on the same by December 31, 2017.

The committee is asked to submit a detailed report regarding the health hazards of firecrackers on people during the festive season, especially on Dussehra and Diwali.

A total of 100 firecracker companies moved the Supreme Court on January 30 seeking modification of its earlier order which had put a ban on selling of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR.

The Firecracker Association, earlier in December last year moved the apex court, challenging its earlier order of banning firecrackers in Delhi-NCR.

On November 25 last year, the apex court banned the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR until further notice in wake of the alarming levels of air pollution in the region.

The top court had asked the CPCB to file a reply within three months regarding the harmful effects of fire crackers.

The apex court is also mulling over the decision of imposing a national ban on the manufacture of fireworks.

In tune with the same, the apex court has given three months to the CPCB to file a report regarding "composition and content" of the fireworks.

The thick smog, formed by burning of the firecrackers and emissions from other sources, enveloped the entire region to the extent of raising the level of air pollution 16 times more than what is considered safe by the Indian Government.

Last year, the plea regarding the same was rejected by the court with the view that the sudden ban would restrict citizens' rights. 

-ANI