SC refuses to lift ban on sale of firecrackers in Delhi, but says no ban on bursting them

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The Supreme Court on Friday declined to modify its ban on the sale of crackers in Delhi-NCR till November 1.

The apex court has clarified, however, that the ban is on the sale of crackers and not on bursting them.

“Have not stopped people from celebrating Diwali, only restricted bursting of crackers,” the court said.

The court in its observation has asked people who had questioned its judgement earlier this week to refrain from politicising the issue and giving it a communal colour. “We are pained at the communal remarks,” the apex court observed.

The decision comes after a group of traders moved the court seeking modifications of its October 9 order by which the sale of firecrackers was banned in Delhi-national capital region (NCR) till November 1.

The apex court, while banning sale of firecrackers till November 1, had said that its September 12 order temporarily lifting the stay and permitting sale of firecrackers, would be made effective only from November 1.

It had said its November 11, 2016 order suspending the licences "should be given one chance to test itself" to see if there would be a positive effect of this on the air quality, particularly during Diwali.

The court, in its direction last year, had suspended all licenses which permits sale of fireworks, wholesale and retail within the territory of NCR till further orders.

It had said the 2016 order was passed by the court in view of the alarming pollution levels in Delhi-NCR that had increased after Diwali.

In Gurgaon, however, the city administration has allowed those residents who have bought Diwali firecrackers in advance to burn them between 6 pm to 10 pm on October 19.

"We have framed certain guidelines for those who have already purchased crackers. They can burn them from 6 pm to 10 pm on October 19," said Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh.

The administration has also imposed IPC section 144 (unlawful assembly) in the city, and asked the residents to burn the crackers 100 meters away from private and government hospitals, educational institutions, religious places and courts.