SC Allows Sale, Use of Green Crackers for 2 Hours in Telangana

NEW DELHI: In a huge relief for Telangana Fire Workers Dealers Association, the Supreme Court on Friday allowed the sale and use of firecrackers in the state in accordance with the order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). NGT has allowed bursting of green crackers in cities where air quality is "moderate".

The tribunal has also specified time periods for bursting of crackers - 8pm-10pm on Diwali and Gurupurb, 6am-8am on Chhath, and 11.55pm-12.30am on Christmas and New Year's Eve.

These rules are applicable for states which have not made their own rules or banned the use of firecrackers.

The top court's order is interim in nature and not a precedent for others cases. The lifting of the ban on firecrackers only pertains to Telangana and follows the plea challenging the high court order.

The Association had challenged the Telangana high court order banning sale and use of fireworks during Diwali. It had sought immediate stay on grounds that their livelihoods will be at stake because of the order.

According to the



petitioners, the high court didn't make the Association involved with the case nor did it look for its reaction. The Association had battled that selling of sparklers is a "occasional business for which substantial ventures have been made." 

Since the summit court will stay shut for Diwali, an exceptional get-away seat involving Justices AM Khanwilkar and Sanjiv Khanna was set up. The two adjudicator seat additionally gave notice to contradicting parties, returnable on 16 November. 

Numerous states have restricted blasting of sparklers this year, refering to the compounding pandemic. The Delhi government has restricted these likewise due to rising degrees of contamination in the public capital locale.

The NGT on Monday banned sale or use of firecrackers in the national capital region from the midnight of 9 November to that of 30 November, saying "celebration by crackers is for happiness and not to celebrate deaths and diseases".

Besides Delhi, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Odissa, Rajasthan, Sikkim, and Karnataka have also banned firecrackers.