Industry players based in the city want to make inroads in the global export market, where China holds the edge with an annual turnover of Rs 26,000 crore, says a report.
Production, storage and sale of firecrackers in the capital will be punishable with a fine of up to Rs 5,000 and three years jail under Section 9B of the Explosives Act, the minister told a press conference here.
"Production, storage, sale and use of all types of firecrackers are being completely banned so that people's lives can be saved," Rai tweeted.
Perhaps for the first time ever, photographs of people injured by firecrackers are used in the judgment papers. These show images of youngsters and children who lost eyesight due to firecracker injuries.
Addressing a press conference here, Rai alleged that some people from Opposition parties were trying to sabotage the Delhi government’s fight against pollution by linking firecracker bursting to religion.
Around 42 per cent of households are in favour of some type of ban on cracker-bursting on Diwali while 53 per cent are not in support of any restrictions, the survey conducted by LocalCircles showed.
Diwali 2021: SC in its judgement said bursting of firecrackers causes pollution and has banned bursting of firecrackers. Firecrackers that contains Barium salts are prohibited and there is no blanket ban, the court clarified.
The Delhi high court had on Thursday listed the petition for further hearing on December 13 as the main counsel for the petitioner was not available.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh listed the matter for December 13 as the main counsel for the petitioner was not available today.
Citing a recent CBI report, which revealed that manufacturers continue to maintain inventories of barium salts, the court said, "We are not averse to celebrations, but we cannot celebrate at the cost of others’ lives."
A bench of Justices M R Shah and A S Bopanna said the CBI has found harmful chemicals such as barium salts in the seized items.
According to the order, several experts have indicated a possibility of another surge of COVID-19 and largescale celebrations by bursting of firecrackers will result not only in agglomeration of people in violation of social distancing norms but also a high level of air pollution leading to serious health issues in Delhi.
''We have to strike the balance between employment, unemployment and the right to life of the citizen. Under the guise of employment of few we cannot permit others to infringe the right to life of other citizens.
The order issued in December 2020 directed a “total ban on the sale and use of all kinds of firecrackers” during the COVID-19 pandemic in the national capital region (NCR) and all cities and towns, where ambient air quality or Air Quality Index (AQI) falls under 'poor' or worse category.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said its direction to restrict the use of firecrackers in cities/towns where air quality is 'moderate' or below to green crackers and for the duration of not more than two hours will continue.
The MP's aide said that Joshi’s granddaughter was bursting crackers with a couple of other children when the fire mishap took place in Prayagraj on November 16.
If a person is caught selling or bursting firecrackers this month, the offender will likely be booked under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on charges of disobeying an order promulgated by a public servant.
But legal experts say the order is certainly implementable in the long run, even if it appears a monumental task now, and law enforcement agencies must be made accountable for the breaches that can hurt the ambitious efforts to combat pollution.
The air quality in Delhi-NCR Wednesday oscillated between poor and very poor categories. While the Central Pollution Control Board recorded the overall air quality index (AQI) in the national capital at 281, which falls in poor category, the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) recorded it at 319, which falls in very poor category.
Several online websites such as crackermart, buyonlinecrackers, mycrackers.com, patakewala.com have flashed messages on their site that online orders are closed
Judicial intervention on the use of firecrackers is nothing new for Delhi, but this is the first time that all of India will be celebrating Deepavali with such restrictions.
SC said around 20-25 percent of children in the city suffer from respiratory problems due to abnormally high levels of pollution during the festival.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said it would consider whether the plea seeking extension of ban on firecrackers can be heard urgently.
After the Supreme Court order, Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik had directed the deputy commissioners of police of the 13 police districts to ensure that crackers are not sold in the city.
According to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Fire Crackers Association president Sanjay Bhope, the wholesalers in entire Hyderabad and Secunderabad are not selling Chinese crackers.