SC sets aside Calcutta HC’s ban on sale, purchase & use of firecrackers – Times Now

Kolkata: The Supreme Court on Monday set aside an order of the Calcutta High Court, that ordered a ban on sale, purchase and use of firecrackers in West Bengal. A bench comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and Ajay Rastogi heard the matter and set aside the ban. 

The special bench stated that the SC had allowed the use of green crackers in areas with ‘moderate’ air quality and added that the order will be valid in all states. 

‘There cannot be a complete ban on firecrackers’

The SC said, “There cannot be a complete ban on firecrackers. The mechanism must be strengthened to stop misuse. ”  

The bench asked the state government to be more vigilant and ensure that banned firecrackers are not imported to the state at the entry point. 

The development pertains to an HC order released on October 29, banning the sale, use and purchase of all types of firecrackers in the state. The chairman of a West Bengal-based firecracker association and a group filed a petition challenging the HC’s order. 

In the plea, the petitioners said that they represent the interests of around seven lakh families that depend on the process of manufacturing and selling firecrackers for their livelihood.