SC says only green crackers to be sold in Delhi, NCR

The Supreme Court on Wednesday reiterated that only green crackers will be sold in New Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) in the run up to Diwali, the festival of lights.

A division bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri, also said that pollution-causing firecrackers, which have already been manufactured, will not be allowed to be sold in Delhi and NCR.

In view of the rising air pollution, which is aggravated by bursting of crackers, the Supreme Court, last week, said that burning of bangers will be allowed only between 8 pm and 10 pm on Diwali.

A division bench of the apex court had further said that only the improvised fireworks with reduced emission as well as green crackers would be permitted to be manufactured and sold.

In its judgement last week, the court had imposed a ban on the making and burning of joined firecrackers (series crackers or laris), saying they cause air, noise and solid waste problems.

Some shopkeepers and customers in the national capital had expressed inability to understand what the apex court meant by "green fireworks".

Irked by the top court's verdict, the cracker sellers questioned that why such a decision was taken just a few days before the Diwali festival, adding that the ruling has directly hit their business and livelihood.