Amid demands over Diwali celebrations with firecrackers in Delhi, the Supreme Court on Friday stated that the ban will be "lifted for the time being", i.e., for a period of five days. Reserving its order, the bench led by Chief Justice of India, BR Gavai, and Justice K Vinod Chandran said that it will decide on relaxing the absolute ban on firecrackers in the Delhi-NCR region.
The CJI remarked, "For the time being, we will permit the ban lifting during Diwali."
The apex court's order comes during air quality and pollution levels concerns, which rise amid Diwali celebrations. It also marks the time when there is widespread stubble-burning in the nearby states.
SC bench's "for the time being" orderOn behalf of the Center, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested the bench to give some relaxation in the timings, stating in his argument that children should not be restricted to two hours of celebrations.
He said during the hearing, "It is a matter of a few days on Diwali. Let children celebrate Diwali with fervour."
The top court has allowed for the lifting of the ban during the five days of Diwali on a "trial basis". Adding, "We will confine it to certain time limits."
The Government has issued strict time guidelines for upcoming occasions: 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali and other major festivals, 11.55 pm to 12:30 am on New Year's Eve, and one-hour slots in mornings and evenings during Gurpurab. Weddings and other personal occasions can also be celebrated with firecrackers.
Senior advocate Aparajita Singh (Amicus curiae), who was assisting the SC bench in the case, showed concern over the sale of "fake green crackers", which are sold under false labels that continue the use of polluting chemicals.
While hearing the case, the bench inquired whether there had been any improvement in the AQI levels from 2018 to 2024.
What is the concern of the environmentalists?On the other hand, environmental experts have raised concerns over the move, where they cited that a similar policy was adopted for two years between 2018 to 2020 for the use of green firecrackers, but there was no reduction in the pollution levels. They also argued that it was virtually impossible to strike a difference between such products and the conventional firecrackers in use.
The spike in air pollution in Delhi-NCR is mostly due to the weather and wind conditions, and the burning of farm waste in Punjab. With the use of firecrackers, even the polluting green crackers (only a third less than the normal ones), there is a temporary rise in pollution.