DELHI – The Supreme Court has brought back the November 2016 ban on sale of firecrackers in the Delhi-NCR region.
Let’s try out at least one Diwali without firecrackers,” the top court observed on Monday, suspending the sale of firecrackers in the region.
A bench headed by Justice A.K. Sikri said the apex court’s September 12 order temporarily lifting the stay and permitting sale of firecrackers would be effective from November 1.
Diwali is on October 19 and the order effectively means that no firecrackers will be available for purchase before the festival.
The apex court’s order came on a plea seeking restoration of the November 2016 order.
On November 11, 2016, the Supreme Court had ordered the suspension of all licences permitting the sale of fireworks, wholesale and retail, within the NCR till further orders. The order was based on a slew of petitions to ban the use of fireworks. Further, the air pollution had become manifold severe after Diwali in 2016.
(With inputs from PTI)