In Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and other southern states, firecrackers can be burst from 4am -5am and from 9pm-10pm during festivals The Supreme Court clarified on Wednesday that firecrackers other than green crackers will not be sold in the Delhi-NCR region this festival season. A bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said firecrackers already produced can be sold this festive season only in other parts of the country. In Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and other southern states, firecrackers can be burst from 4am -5am and from 9pm-10pm during festivals, the apex court said. It said its direction on community bursting of firecrackers will apply across India for two hours. Its directions on the ban on sale of firecrackers through e-commerce websites will also apply pan-India, the court said.<doc-sep>The Delhi-NCR region is likely to have a firecracker-less Diwali because there will be no legal sale of firecrackers, with police officials confirming on Saturday that no licences will be given to retailers as no products conform to the guidelines laid down by the top court last month. The top court announced curbs on the use of fireworks across the country in general and more stringent conditions for their use in the National Capital Region (NCR) because of concerns over rising pollution. Specifically, it said only green crackers could be used in NCR. Bursting any of the conventional firecrackers will be illegal in the region. “We will not be issuing permission to anyone to sell firecrackers this Diwali. The applicants for temporary licences do not have green firecrackers and are not in a position to procure them before Diwali. We have taken the decision to enforce the Supreme Court order on sale and use of firecrackers,” said Madhur Verma, Delhi Police spokesperson. The few shops in Delhi holding licences that allow them to sell firecrackers all-year-round have kept their businesses shut because they admittedly do not have products that conform to the top court’s directives. According to a 2017 affidavit to the top court and explanations offered by the country’s explosives regulator (Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation or Peso) , green firecrackers refers to products that do not contain metals such as barium, aluminium and iron which release toxic gases – but such products have not yet been manufactured for sale. Officials in Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram too said that no licenses have been issued for traders to sell firecrackers in the satellite towns of the national capital. “In compliance with the Supreme Court order, we have not issued a single license this season to any trader for selling firecrackers. Only those who can submit proof that they are selling green firecrackers will be issued licences. However, so far no one has come forward,” said Munish Sharma, additional deputy commissioner of Gurugram. He added that a licence can be provided if an applicant can prove that the product being sold conforms to the top court’s directives. In Noida, the city magistrate said that while preliminary sales permissions have been given to some traders, licences will be handed out only after the applicants get a certificate from Peso and an affidavit stating their products can be considered green firecrackers. “Nobody has submitted all documents so far,” Shailendra Mishra, the city magistrate, said. The “green firecracker” order was first delivered by the top court on October 23, when it laid down a specific restriction for the national capital region considering the air quality crisis that has become typical for this time of the year. Last year, the sale of firecrackers was banned but people who brought them from outside – irrespective of the type – were free to use them. In the week following that ruling, the court reiterated thrice that only firecrackers without harmful chemicals can be used, leading to confusion among traders and law enforcement agencies since the ban was not complete like last year. Traders in north Delhi’s Sadar Bazar market said the restrictions had made it a black Diwali for them, and claimed losses could run into crores of rupees. “Last year temporary licenses had been issued to hundreds of people after which each of them procured firecrackers worth more than ?5 lakh. All our stock went down the drain as the police revoked licences at the last minute. We are just grateful that police haven’t issued a licence in the first place this year because of which most traders haven’t bought any stock,” said Narendra Gupta, head of Sadar Bazar Firework Association. In north Delhi district, where the popular wholesale firecracker market Sadar Bazar is located, only 69 applications were received this year compared to the 200 last year. In east Delhi district, the figure stood at 96. Deputy commissioners of police of both districts said none of the applicants were issued licences since they did not meet the criteria laid down by the top court. “We will be verifying the applications once again on Sunday, but it is unlikely anyone will qualify,” said Nupur Prasad, DCP (north). Some traders said they were now hoping to get some products approved at least for New Year’s Eve celebrations. “Manufacturers have told us that it could take five-six months to start supplying ‘green crackers’. We just hope we can get a small stock for our regular customers by new year,” SC Jain, who holds a permanent licence for selling firecrackers in central Delhi’s Dariba Kalan, said on Friday. Apart from the licence-holders, there are a number of small shops that illegally sell firecrackers every year in the city. But this year, every police station has formed special teams to crack down on such sales. As of Saturday, nearly 1,900 kilograms of illegal firecrackers had been seized from across the city, most of them from west Delhi. Seven people were booked in connection with the seizures. The Delhi Police on Friday issued an advertisement saying that the sale of non-green firecrackers would invite police action.<doc-sep>The Supreme Court has refused to impose a nationwide blanket ban on sale of firecrackers. In its verdict today, the court said only 'green firecrackers' (which are less polluting) will be allowed to be sold. In its order, the court banned the online sale of firecrackers and put a stay on e-commerce portals from selling them. The court said only "low polluting" green crackers which are within permitted decibel limits and emission norms will be allowed. The court also imposed timing restrictions on burning firecrackers on Diwali. The court said people will be allowed to burn crackers between 8pm and 10 pm on Diwali. On New Year and Christmas, the timing is from 11:45 pm to 12:15 am. The court has also directed all states to explore feasibility of community cracker bursting during festivals. The Supreme Court's verdict came in response to a plea seeking a ban on manufacturing and sale of firecrackers across the country to curb air pollution. This comes 15 days ahead of Diwali (November 7). The matter was heard by a bench of Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan. On August 28, the bench had reserved its verdict. Here are 10 thing that you should know: 1) On October 9 last year, the Supreme Court temporarily banned the sale of firecrackers ahead of Diwali. 2) The court refused to relax its order and dismissed a plea moved by traders. In wake of the temporary ban, the traders were seeking permission to sell crackers for at least a day or two before Diwali last year. 3) The court had said that the limited ban on firecrackers during Diwali was an experiment to examine its effect on the pollution levels. 4) In the past, the Supreme Court had said that while deciding on a ban on firecrackers, it is important to take into account all aspects, including the fundamental right of livelihood of firecracker manufacturers and the right to health of over 1.3 billion people of the country. The Supreme Court had said it will also take into consideration the fundamental right of livelihood of firecracker manufacturers. (Photo: Reuters file) 5) The court had said that Article 21 (right to life) of the Constitution applies to both segments of people (firecracker manufacturers and general public) and it needs to maintain a balance while considering a countrywide ban on firecrackers. For this, the court also asked the central government to suggest ways through which pollution can be curbed and what will be the effect of firecrackers on the public at large. 6) On August 8 this year, the court observed that a spike in PM 2.5 levels in the air is a severe problem as the particulate matter remains in people's lungs, leading to serious health implications. 7) In their contention, firecrackers manufacturers had argued that the use of firecrackers should not be completely banned. They said their use should rather be strictly regulated. Every year during winter, the air quality in Delhi worsens to alarming levels, turning the city into a gas chamber. (Photo: Reuters file) 8) On whether firecrackers are the main contributors to air pollution in the national capital and adjoining areas during winter, the manufacturers contended that crackers are not the reason for increase in air pollution. They said there are other factors, like wind and temperature, which contribute to it. 9) They have said the firecracker manufacturers can be deprived of their right to do business based on statements which were not supported by facts. 10) Every year during winter, the air quality in Delhi worsens to alarming levels, turning the city into a gas chamber. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, along with firecrackers during Diwali, vehicular pollution and construction activities are the primary reasons for this. ALSO READ | Old Delhi's firecracker market protests Supreme Court ban, shops down shutters ALSO READ | Delhi: Here's how three kids won battle against pollution ALSO READ | Chetan Bhagat wants Diwali celebrated with firecrackers. Because, tradition Watch: Is Diwali all about firecrackers for the common man and woman?<doc-sep>The Supreme Court on October 23, 2018, restricted bursting of toxic firecrackers and allowed only 'green firecrackers' on Diwali and other occasions. The Supreme Court on October 23, 2018, two weeks before Diwali, restricted bursting of toxic firecrackers and allowed only 'green firecrackers' on Diwali and other occasions. But the top court clarified today that its order on use of green crackers during Diwali is only for Delhi-NCR and not pan-India. Time slots have been set for the bursting of firecrackers. They can be burst between 8-10 pm on Diwali and from 11:55 pm-12:30 am on New Year and Christmas. The apex court also restrained e-commerce websites like Flipkart and Amazon from selling firecrackers which are beyond the permissible limit, applicable pan-India. The websites will be hauled up for contempt of court if they do not adhere to the court's direction Union Environment minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday said although less-polluting green crackers have been devised and the technology will be shared with the industry soon, it will not be available this Diwali. Here are 12 things you should know about green firecrackers 1. Green crackers are less harmful and less dangerous than the conventional ones. They are the crackers with reduced emission and decibel level. 2. Environment minister Harsh Vardhan said the new firecrackers developed by the scientists of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, would be 30 per cent less polluting than the conventional crackers. 3. They are known as 'green' firecrackers because they have a chemical formulation that produces water molecules, which substantially reduces emission levels and absorbs dust. 4. It promises a reduction in particulate matters and harmful gases, like nitrous oxide and sulfur oxide, by 30- 35 per cent. 5. The technology is being developed by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in collaboration with eight other government labs. 6. The scientists had been working on these crackers over the past year. The cost of development was around Rs 65 lakh. 7. Three types of firecrackers have been developed by the scientists, named Safe Water and Air Sprinklers (SWAS), Safe Thermite Cracker (STAR) and Safe Minimal Aluminium (SAFAL), in which the commonly used pollution-causing chemicals - aluminium, barium, potassium nitrate and carbon - have either been removed or sharply reduced. 8. All three have matching sound intensity with conventional crackers. 9. The government has sent the technology to Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). It is the licensing authority for framing rules under the Explosives Act 1884 and Inflammable Substances Act 1952. 10. Once granted license by PESO, factories like those in Sivakashi will begin manufacturing and these will be available for use on all occasions including weddings throughout the year. 11. The green crackers will be 25-30 per cent cheaper to manufacture and manufacturers would not have to make any changes in their facilities. 12. Not only green, but another concept towards a cleaner environment is being tested, called E-Crackers. E-crackers or electronic crackers will give various light/sound effects and are being tested by at the CSIR-CEERI in Pilani, Rajasthan. The Supreme Court on October 30, 2018, said that states can fix their own timings of bursting firecrackers on Diwali, but it should not exceed two hours. "Timing for bursting firecrackers in places like Tamil Nadu, Puducherry will be changed but not exceed 2 hours a day," the court said. In Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and other southern states, firecrackers can be burst from 4-5 am and from 9-10 pm during festivals, the apex court said. Harsh Vardhan said that a first-of-its-kind testing facility was developed at NEERI in Nagpur, where the modified chemical combination was tested to modify and control the emission with colours, smoke, the height of lighting, brightness, and ability to burst. Also read | Shocking facts about the Indian firecracker industry Interested in General Knowledge and Current Affairs? Click here to stay informed and know what is happening around the world with our G.K. and Current Affairs section. To get more updates on Current Affairs, send in your query by mail to education.intoday@gmail.com<doc-sep>
New Delhi: Diwali celebrations this year will come with certain caveats. Poor air quality across the country prompted the Supreme Court to come up with immediate measures to curb rising air pollution. From partially banning fireworks to setting the time limit on bursting of crackers, the court has issued guidelines on almost every aspect of the festival. Here are certain things you must keep in mind before you go out and engage yourself in celebrations this Diwali. The mystery that are ‘green crackers’ The apex court on October 23 restricted bursting of conventional firecrackers and allowed only ‘green firecrackers’ to be used on Diwali. Developed by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in collaboration with eight other government laboratories, the ‘green crackers’, as the name suggests, are not completely eco-friendly. They are said to be 30% less polluting than conventional firecrackers. They have a chemical formulation that produces water molecules, which reduces emission levels and absorbs dust. Manufacturing of the the ‘green crackers’ had not yet started and these could only be produced after Diwali, said Union environment minister Harsh Vardhan. It means that the concept of green crackers is redundant for this year’s celebration. The good thing is that the use of ‘green crackers’ is meant only for the Delhi-National Capital Region and not pan-India. People should now stop searching Google for ‘green crackers’ and ‘green crackers near me’. Defusing the firecrackers: It is likely that there will no legal sale of crackers in the Delhi-NCR region because no licences have been issued to retailers as no products comply with the rules laid down by the top court. In a first, a person in Delhi has been arrested for bursting crackers. The Supreme Court has ordered that only “low-polluting" ‘green firecrackers’ that are within the permitted decibel limits be allowed to be sold. The court has completely banned the manufacture, sale and use of so-called joined firecrackers such as ‘ladis’. E-commerce platforms, including Flipkart and Amazon, have been asked not to sell fireworks online. Any attempt to do so will attract the wrath of the court, including monetary penalties. The court has a separate condition for Delhi that crackers will be allowed only in designated spots. The official timings: The Supreme Court had passed an order setting the time slot for fireworks between 10:00 PM and 12:00 PM. But it had to modify its order for several states keeping in view that several southern and north-eastern states have a different approach and timing towards celebrating Diwali. In Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and other southern states, firecrackers can be burst from 4 am to 5 am and from 9 pm to 10 pm during Diwali. The states have also been given discretionary powers to fix the time slots. The total duration has been restricted to two hours. Why the caveats? The top court issued its ruling on 23rd October 2018, just 15 days before Diwali, in response to a petition on the behalf of three children seeking a ban on the manufacture and sale of firecrackers in order to protect their health. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics