Traders move Supreme Court, seek relaxation of firecracker ban

SC bench headed by Justice AK Sikri had on Monday put in abeyance court’s September 12 order until November 1. However, burning of crackers is allowed, which means those in possession of old stock can burst.

Two days after the Supreme Court reinstated its earlier order and banned sale of crackers in Delhi and NCR till November 1, traders moved the court asking it to modify the order.

Shopkeepers protest outside their closed shops at Sadar Bazar in New Delhi on October 11. (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

The advocate representing the traders mentioned the modification plea before a bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi and said the licences to sell crackers were revived pursuant to SC’s September 12 order permitting the sale with restrictions. This made them procure firecrackers for sale during Diwali.

The lawyer said Monday’s order would cause huge loss to the traders, who say they should be allowed to sell the purchased stock.

Justice Gogoi told the lawyer that the judges who imposed the ban would be informed about their application and also the request for an urgent hearing.

In a move to pre-empt Delhi from getting engulfed with thick haze with the onset of winters, SC bench headed by Justice AK Sikri had on Monday put in abeyance court’s September 12 order until November 1. However, burning of crackers is allowed, which means those in possession of old stock can burst.

Citing high levels of air pollution in the city that forced schools to shut down after last year’s Diwali, the court said it would enable the authorities to test what effect does bursting crackers have on Delhi’s air.

“Burning of firecrackers during Diwali in 2016 had shot up particulate matter levels by three times, making Delhi the worst city in the world in so far as air pollution is concerned,” the SC said.

The SC verdict is said to have impacted nearly 400 temporary firecracker licence holders and 150 permanent ones. Immediate steps were taken to seal shops trading in crackers in conformity with the court’s directive to suspend licences issued following the September order.