The Supreme Court has allowed the sale and use of green firecrackers for two hours in Telangana. (Archive)
New Delhi:
The Supreme Court has allowed the sale and use of green cookies, considered less polluting, for two hours in Telangana, where the state government imposed a total ban following an order from the state High Court before Diwali.
The sentence was handed down by a two-judge tribunal of Justices AM Khanwilkar and Sajiv Khanna in an urgent hearing, conducted via video conference, on a guilty plea filed by the Telangana Fireworks Dealers Association declaring losses.
Allowing the 2-hour relaxation, the Supreme Court clarified that the Telangana state government would have to pay attention to the restrictions imposed by the National Green Court.
The court also issued a notice to the original petitioner in the Superior Court for whose cause the ban was imposed.
Meanwhile, the contested judgment is modified and adjusted to the NGT order of November 9 that applies even to the state of Telangana. The state must comply with the instructions in letter and spirit. We are aware of the fact that the defendants are not being cared for, but given the peculiar situation and the urgency that it implies, the Superior Court of Justice has been modified, ”said the magistrate.
Last week, the National Green Court had imposed a complete ban on firecrackers in Delhi, neighboring areas and all cities in the country where the average air quality is “bad” or worse. The green court had allowed the sale and use of less polluting “green cookies” for two hours in areas where air pollution was “moderate” or less.
The ban is applicable from midnight on November 9 to midnight on November 30, and on festivals such as Diwali, Chatt, Guru Purab, Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Recently, Delhi’s neighbor, Haryana, also amended its ban on firecrackers to allow sale and use for two hours throughout the state, except for Gurgaon, a part of the highly polluted national capital region. The state also allowed relaxations after a presentation by merchant groups.
A similar relaxation was also adopted in other BJP-ruled states of Karnataka and Assam, which have urged people to exercise restraint.
Assam’s Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said there would be no restrictions on the explosion of firecrackers on Diwali, as “Hindus have the right to celebrate.”
Although the ban on firecrackers was imposed in light of increasing cases of COVID-19, which affects lung function, amid deteriorating air quality, the problem has taken on a political color in Telangana.
State BJP Chairman and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar had accused the TRS government of failing to protect the sentiments of its Hindu population. “It has become fashionable to make Hindu festivals controversial every time,” Kumar said. He also questioned the effect of the ban on government-approved merchants and manufacturers.
Last year, amid severe air pollution in Delhi, the Supreme Court allowed the sale and use of green firecrackers for two hours on Diwali.
India has more than 87 lakh of coronavirus cases, and the northern states experience an increase in the infection rate with the onset of winters.
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