Green Crackers Allowed In Bengal, Supreme Court Cancels High Court Ban
NDTV
The Calcutta High Court had said that only wax or oil-based diyas should be used during the festive season.
Green crackers - firecrackers made using relatively less-polluting materials - can be used during the festive season starting this week in West Bengal, the Supreme Court said on Monday, setting aside a total ban on crackers by the Calcutta High Court to check air pollution amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Relying upon its order from Friday, in another case involving firecrackers, the Supreme Court said there cannot be a complete ban on them. The order comes just days ahead of Kali Puja, Diwali and other festivals.
Supreme Court Justices AM Khanwilkar and Ajay Rastogi also asked the West Bengal government to explore the possibility of ensuring that banned firecrackers and related items are not imported in the state and stopped at entry points.
The judges, who assembled during the Diwali break to hear the matter, were hearing the pleas by manufacturers against the order of the high court banning the sale, use and purchase of all types of firecrackers in the state issued on Friday.
