Ban on sale of firecrackers to continue in Delhi-NCR: SC

The ban on selling and stockpiling of firecrackers will continue in Delhi and NCR as the Supreme Court today refused to modify its earlier order of suspension of licences of traders dealing in such explosive material.
A bench of Justices M B Lokur and P C Pant refused to modify the order and directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to prepare a inventory of existing firecrackers with the traders and suggest measures for their disposal.
The bench while hearing a plea of traders who sought a direction to modify its earlier order and allow them to dispose of their existing stock by selling it outside Delhi-NCR, refused to give any relief.

"No, you cannot be allowed to sell or dispose of the stock in Bombay or elsewhere and create pollution," the bench said.
It said that first the stocks will be inventorised by CPCB and then it will look into the pleas of traders.
Senior advocate Rajeev Dhawan, appearing for 68 traders, said that they have stocks and they can either burn these or dispose these by selling outside Delhi-NCR.

He said that FIRs are being lodged against businessmen for even keeping the stock and hence the court should pass a direction that till the stocks are inventorised no coercive action be taken against them.

Senior advocate Salman Khurshid, appearing for some of the manufacturers, said that they are ready to follow the guidelines.
"Not all firecrackers create pollution. We can amend the composition of chemicals, if we know what is prescribed limit," he said.
The bench said that earlier interim passed by the court will continue till further orders.
The board in its report said that most of the firecrackers carry large amount sulphur which is one of the major causes of air pollution.
"The lighting effects and noise levels depend on the chemistry of fireworks and the combustive features of the ingredients, the major concern being inappropriate stoichiometric amounts of the ingredients in making common firecrackers.

"Firecrackers are made of chemicals/metallic agents some of which are toxic when they burst. The major constituents of smog that forms from firecracker emissions contain sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides and significant dust load or particulate matters that may contain any of the heavy metals including lead, mercury besides lithium and aluminium," the report said.
The court asked CPCB to upload the prescribed limit of checmical composition of commonly used firecrackers on its websites.
The board was asked by the apex court in its order on November 11 last year to study and prepare a report on the harmful effects of the materials which are currently being used in the manufacture of fireworks.

It had asked for the report within a period of three months.
The apex court had on November 11 last year directed the Centre to suspend all such licences as permit sale of fireworks, wholesale and retail within the territory of NCR and said that the suspension shall remain in force till further orders of the court.
It had also directed that no such licences shall be granted or renewed till further orders.