SC raps Delhi govt on framing of guidelines on firecrackers

The Supreme Court today rapped the Delhi government for not clearly spelling out the guidelines on manufacture, sale and burning of firecrackers and wondered why it wanted an order from it on the issue.
"Suppose we do not say anything, will you say that you will not do it. We do not understand why you need an order from the Supreme Court. Do you want an order from us to do something which you should be doing on you own?," a three- judge bench, headed by Justice Madan B Lokur, asked.
The bench, also comprising Justices P C Pant and Deepak Gupta, made the observations after it asked the counsel representing the Delhi government about the guidelines.

The lawyer, who initially said she would have to take instructions on the issue, later contended that the Delhi government was planning to circulate information to school students about the hazardous effects of firecrackers.
The counsel informed the bench that the government was looking into the aspect regarding framing of guidelines and it would file an affidavit in the apex court.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General P S Patwalia told the bench that the National Green Tribunal had last year directed the states, including Delhi, to frame guidelines on manufacture, sale and burning of firecrackers as it was a major source of pollution.

At the fag end of hearing, the Delhi government told the apex court that it would file an affidavit within three weeks and would start a campaign so that children in schools could be made aware about the hazardous effects of firecrackers.
The apex court had earlier banned sale and stockpiling of firecrackers in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) keeping in view that firecrackers were a source of pollution.
It had on November 11 last year directed the Centre to suspend all licences for sale of fireworks, wholesale and retail, within the territory of the NCR and said that the suspension would remain in force till further orders of the court.