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On Diwali, 'Green' Crackers Can Be Burst From 8 pm to 10 pm, Says Supreme Court

Crackers can only be sold through licence holders, and e-commerce websites will not be allowed to sell them, said the court.
Crackers can only be sold through licence holders, and e-commerce websites will not be allowed to sell them, said the court.
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Crackers can only be sold through licence holders, and e-commerce websites will not be allowed to sell them, said the court.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday permitted the sale and use of low-emission firecrackers across the country subject to certain conditions.

On Diwali, crackers can be burst only for two hours, between 8 pm and 10 pm, said the court. On Christmas and New Year, people can burst firecrackers between 11:55 pm and 12:30 am, NDTV reported.

The court also ordered the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation to give clearance only to crackers that meet noise and emission standards, Hindustan Times said.

Crackers can only be sold through licence holders, and e-commerce websites will not be allowed to sell them.

The court was hearing a plea seeking a ban on manufacture and sale of firecrackers across the country to curb air pollution. A bench of Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan pronounced the judgement.

On 9 October last year, the top court had temporarily banned the sale of firecrackers ahead of Diwali.

Later, the court refused to relax its order while dismissing a plea by traders who had sought permission to sell crackers for at least a day or two before Diwali on 19 October 2017.

The apex court said its ban order during Diwali that year was an experiment to examine its effect on the pollution levels in the region.

PTI contributed to this story.

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