The top court was of the view that there is need to take into account all aspects, including the fundamental right of livelihood of firecracker manufacturers and the right to health of people
People purchase firecrackers at a market in New Delhi. Pic/PTI
Pushing for a "green" Diwali across the country, the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday imposed major controls on firecrackers, including an 8 pm to 10 pm window for bursting them and limiting the manufacture and sale of fireworks to only those that conform to permissible smoke and noise levels.
A bench comprising Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan also restrained e-commerce websites like Flipkart and Amazon from selling firecrackers with emission levels beyond the permissible limit. The court said the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) would approve the permissible limit of sound.
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The apex court's order — permitting "green" firecrackers and fixing a two-hour time period for bursting them on Diwali and other festivals — came on a plea seeking a ban on the manufacture and sale of firecrackers across the country to curb air pollution. The bench said e-commerce websites would be hauled up for contempt of court if they don't adhere to the court's direction.
The court also asked the Centre to encourage community cracker bursting during Diwali and other festivals in Delhi-NCR and directed all states to explore its feasibility.
The court said station house officers of police stations concerned would be held liable if banned firecrackers are sold in their area. The top court was of the view that there is need to take into account all aspects, including the fundamental right of livelihood of firecracker manufacturers and the right to health of people.
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