NEW DELHI: With its order banning crackers in Delhi and NCR openly breached during last Diwali, Supreme Court on Friday asked Centre to devise by Oct 8 a mechanism in consultation with stakeholders to ensure production and sale of only green crackers. A bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria said if the ban on bursting of crackers in Delhi-NCR could not be enforced, it would be proper to allow sale of green crackers which conform to the norms devised by National Environmental Engineering Institute Research Institute and Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation.Manufacturers through senior advocates Balbir Singh and K Parameswara pleaded for resumption of production of green crackers saying workers are jobless. Centre, through additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati, did not support a ban on green crackers.Amicus curiae Aparajita Singh told the bench that it is the enforcement which had been found to be lacking. There are instances where green cracker manufacturing licence holders sold labels to those producing non-green crackers, which emit noxious gases harmful to infants, infirm and elderly, she said.The CJI-led bench said, “As experienced, SC’s order imposing a complete ban on bursting of crackers could not be enforced. In one case where SC banned mining, illegal mafia took over and resorted to mining. Hence, it is necessary to adopt a balanced approach which safeguards both ambient air quality and livelihood of cracker unit workers who come from different parts of the country.”The bench asked Bhati to communicate to ministry of environment and forest to convene meeting of all stakeholders, including manufacturers, sellers and Delhi Police, and consult amicus curiae in arriving at a plan of action and mechanism to enforce green cracker only rule for Delhi and NCR, which from Diwali till major parts of the winter months get enveloped by a thick smog mainly because of burning of crop residue in Punjab, Haryana and UP.SC permitted the manufacturers to commence production of green crackers strictly in conformity with norms laid down by NEERI and PESO but barred them from selling these, for the time being, in Delhi-NCR. It said further orders on sale of these crackers in Delhi-NCR will be considered on Oct 8.While advocating a robust enforcement and monitoring mechanism to ensure low-emission green crackers, CAQM said given the extraordinary air pollution situation in Delhi-NCR, CPCB and CSIR-NEERI must assess the contribution of firecrackers to air pollution. NEERI favoured allowing green crackers across India based on the air quality status of different cities and regions.
