A firecracker manufacturing association has moved a plea in the Supreme Court for putting across certain vital information in a pending matter seeking a ban on the manufacturing and sale of firecrackers across the country to curb air pollution.

The intervention application has been filed by the Sivakasi Fireworks Manufacturers Association, which is an association of fireworks manufacturers situated in Sivakasi, Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu.

"The existing respondent associations due to their internal policies, are not able to bring certain vital information to the kind attention of this court and that information is very important for the effective conclusion of the case. The Applicant is keen on bringing all the relevant information to the attention of this Court," the plea said.

The association said that in spite of specific time-lines given to the CSIR-NEERI for completing the formulations; to the PESO (Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization) for completing the grant of approval for green crackers; and to the manufacturers to start bulk production, there has been no implementation of the said orders.

The timelines set by this court have been exceeded by more than two years and even then, until today, the quantum of work done concerning the implementation of the orders is below two per cent only.

The apex court had earlier refused to impose a complete ban on the sale of firecrackers and said that sale can happen through only licensed traders and that only green crackers can be sold.

The online sale of firecrackers has been completely banned. The verdict had come in response to a plea seeking a ban on the manufacturing and sale of firecrackers across the country to curb air pollution.

In the past, the Apex Court had said that while deciding on a ban on firecrackers, it is imperative to take into account the fundamental right of livelihood of firecracker manufacturers and the right to health of over 1.3 billion people in the country.

Observing that it cannot allow violation of citizens' rights under the guise of enjoyment, the apex court had dismissed that it was against a particular group or community by banning firecrackers.

It had made it clear that it wants full implementation of its orders.

Under the guise of enjoyment, you (manufacturers) cannot play with the lives of citizens. We are not against a particular community. We want to send a strong message that we are here for the protection of fundamental rights of citizens, the Apex Court had said. The Apex Court had said the earlier ban order on firecrackers was passed after giving elaborate reasons.

All firecrackers were not banned. It was in the larger public interest. There is a particular impression being created. It should not be projected that it was banned for a particular purpose. Last time we said that we weren't coming in way of enjoyment but we cannot come in way of fundamental rights of people, the Bench had said.

The Court had said there must be some responsibility entrusted to authorities who have been given the right to implement the order on the ground. We want to send a message that we are here to protect the rights of people. We have not put a 100 per cent ban on firecrackers. Everybody knows what the people of Delhi are suffering (due to the pollution caused by firecrackers, it had said.



With PTI inputs

Firecrackers

Verdictum News Desk