The Delhi government will approach the Supreme Court seeking permission to allow the use of green firecrackers during Diwali, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced, describing Diwali as the most significant religious festival in Indian culture. “Keeping in mind the sentiments of crores of people in Delhi, our government has requested the Supreme Court to allow the use of green firecrackers in Delhi during the festival,” Gupta said.
She added that the government would seek approval for certified green firecrackers, ensuring adherence to all government regulations.
The Chief Minister reiterated her government’s commitment to combating pollution and protecting the environment. “All green firecrackers must be manufactured by authorised agencies and certified by competent and relevant departments,” she stated, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
Previous Supreme Court Directions On Green Crackers
Earlier, the Supreme Court had permitted certified manufacturers to produce green firecrackers on the condition that their sale would not take place in the Delhi-NCR region without prior approval.
“In the meantime, we permit the manufacturers who are having the certification of green crackers as certified by NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) as well as PESO (Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation) to manufacture. However, this will be subject to an undertaking by the manufacturers to this court that until further orders passed by this court, they would not sell any of their crackers in the prohibited areas,” the court ordered.
Next Hearing Scheduled for 8 October
The conditional permission for certified manufacturers to continue producing green firecrackers remains valid until the next hearing on 8 October, when the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) report is expected to be reviewed.
The order holds significance as, on 3 April, a bench headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice A. S. Oka had refused to relax the existing ban on the manufacture, storage, and sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR.
