Delhi: Police pastes posters of SC guidelines on sale, usage of firecrackers

The police personnel in Delhi's Paharganj area pasted posters of guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in regard with selling and using firecrackers during Diwali and upcoming festivals in the city. The posters have been issued by the Delhi Police.

The posters, published in both English and Hindi, clearly states that the selling of reduced emission firecrackers (improved crackers) and green crackers and Safe Water and Air Sprinklers (SWAS) as prescribed and approved by the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation (PESO), as per the apex court's judgment.

The notice also states that joined firecrackers (series crackers or laris) and those containing barium salts, arsenic, antimony, lead and mercury are banned. Moreover, the manufacture, sale or use of firecrackers generating noise levels beyond the permissible limits (125 dB(A) or 145 dB(C) at a four-metre distance from the point of bursting) are prohibited.

Bursting of fireworks are not allowed in silence zones. A silence zone is an area comprising not less than 100 meters around hospitals, educational institutions, courts, religious places or any other area which is declared as such by the competent authority.

The poster mentions the timings of bursting firecrackers as per the directions of the top court -- between 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali days, from 4 am to 5 am and between 9 pm to 10 pm on Gurpurab, and from 11:55 pm to 12:30 am on Christmas Eve and New Year Eve.

On October 31, the top court reiterated that only green crackers will be sold in Delhi-NCR in the run-up to Diwali. Keeping in view the increasing level of pollution and health hazards of firecrackers on citizens across the country, the Supreme Court stipulated the bursting time of firecrackers on Diwali and refused to put a stay on the sale of these substances.

The court also made it clear that the sale shall only be through licensed traders and it shall be ensured that these licensed traders are selling those firecrackers which are permitted by this order.

The top court said that no e-commerce websites, including Flipkart, Amazon and so on shall accept any online orders and effect online sales. Any such types of e-commerce companies found selling crackers online will be hauled up for contempt of court and the apex court may also pass, in that eventuality, orders of monetary penalties as well.

Even those crackers which have already been produced and do not fulfil the conditions will not be allowed to be sold in Delhi and NCR areas.

On October 23, the apex court allowed the sale of firecrackers across India but with certain conditions. It imposed a ban on the making and burning of joined firecrackers, saying they cause air, noise and solid waste problems.