SC refuses urgent hearing on plea against firecracker ban in Delhi

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to accord urgent hearing to a plea against an order banning storage, sale, and use of all types of firecrackers in the national capital till January 1, 2023.

A bench of Chief Justice U U Lalit and Justice Bela M Trivedi asked the lawyer, who mentioned the matter seeking urgent hearing, to approach the Delhi High Court.

"Let the high court decide, we will not get into this," the bench said. The lawyer, who sought the urgent hearing, submitted before the bench that the high court has taken a view that the matter is pending before the Supreme Court and listed it on October 18.

The Delhi High Court had earlier deferred hearing on the plea of green cracker merchants against an order banning storage, sale, and use of all types of firecrackers till January 1.

The petitioners contended that the absolute ban by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee is in contravention of the orders of the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal, which never provided for such a blanket prohibition.

The apex court on Monday had refused to stay the Delhi government's order banning storage, sale, and use of all types of firecrackers till January 1 to check pollution levels in the national capital, saying it did not want to add to the air pollution.

The top court had last year clarified there is no blanket ban on the use of firecrackers and only those fireworks which contain barium salts are prohibited.