SC Declines Urgent Hearing On Plea On Firecrackers, Says People Must Have Invested In This Business

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to accord urgent hearing on a plea relating to ban on firecrackers, saying Diwali is round the corner and people must have invested money in the firecracker business.

"Sorry. We would not list that matter now. Diwali is round the corner. You come in the nick of time. People must have invested money in firecrackers business. You should have come two months earlier," a bench comprising Chief Justice U U Lalit and Justice Hemant Gupta said.

"We would not be able to deal with this matter. Otherwise, look at the consequences of this. Any injunction and those people are out of business," the bench told the counsel, who mentioned the matter for urgent listing. The counsel told the bench the matter pertains to this year's firecracker ban in Delhi and some other states.

"Sorry. It will be done after Diwali," the bench said. The apex court had on Thursday refused to accord urgent hearing to a plea against an order banning storage, sale, and use of all types of firecrackers in the national capital till January 1, 2023.

The top court had asked the lawyer, who had mentioned the matter on Thursday and sought urgent hearing, to approach the Delhi High Court. The Delhi High Court had earlier deferred hearing on the plea of green cracker merchants against the blanket ban on  firecrackers till January 1.

On October 10, the apex court had refused to stay the Delhi government's order banning storage, sale, and use of all varieties of firecrackers till January 1 to check pollution levels in the national capital, saying it did not want to add to the air pollution. The top court had last year clarified there is no blanket ban on the use of firecrackers and only those fireworks which contain barium salts are prohibited.

(With PTI inputs)