Delhi firecracker restrictions came under fresh scrutiny after the Supreme Court expressed concern that shops were reportedly selling all types of firecrackers despite its limits on manufacture, sale and use in the National Capital Region. The court asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to examine the issue after referring to a news report and an accompanying photograph.
According to the report cited in court, markets were offering different categories of firecrackers, including products that were allegedly available without the required permissions. The court also referred to descriptions of firecrackers carrying QR codes and those without QR codes, as well as products sold by licensed and unlicensed outlets.
Justice M.M. Sundresh told Bhati to look into the report, according to the account carried by Live Hindustan – NCR. The judge referred to a report in Hindustan Times that had appeared with a photograph and said it indicated that shops were selling a wide range of products despite the court’s orders. The court’s concern was focused on whether the restrictions were being implemented in markets and whether prohibited products were continuing to reach consumers.
The issue follows the Supreme Court’s order of November 2 concerning the sale and use of certified green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR. Under that order, certified green firecrackers could be sold from November 4 to November 6. Their use was permitted on November 7 and November 8, subject to specific time windows: between 6 am and 7 am, and between 8 pm and 10 pm.
The order also stated that a complete ban on firecrackers would come back into force from November 9. The permitted products were required to comply with certification conditions linked to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation.
Manufacturers holding valid certificates from CSIR-NEERI and PESO were allowed to produce only those green firecrackers whose details had been uploaded on the CSIR-NEERI website between November 2 and November 6, according to the order described in the report. The conditions were intended to identify permitted products and prevent uncertified items from entering the market.
The court had further directed that boxes containing green firecrackers should remain fully sealed. This condition was meant to prevent illegal or conventional firecrackers from being mixed with products presented as compliant. The order also prohibited the manufacture and sale of firecracker strings, commonly known as firecracker garlands.
Firecrackers containing barium, along with products not approved by CSIR-NEERI as green firecrackers, were not permitted to be used. District authorities were also directed to identify locations in the National Capital Region where green firecrackers could be sold, in consultation with the police commissioner.
The latest proceedings place responsibility on enforcement agencies to determine whether the reported products were being sold in violation of the court’s restrictions. The Supreme Court’s direction to the Additional Solicitor General is the next stated step in examining the reported market activity and compliance with the November 2 order.
