Court sticks to 3-hour cracker-bursting norm

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 17

Taking the din out of festivities, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today reiterated its earlier directions of allowing the bursting of firecrackers from 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm on Diwali and Gurpurb.

The Bench also allowed bursting of crackers from 5 pm to 8 pm for the Dasehra celebrations.

The directions by the Division Bench of Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli came during the hearing of a suo motu or “court of its own motion” case for controlling pollution caused by crackers.

Before parting with the order, the Bench asserted: “We have been assured by all stakeholders, particularly the states of Punjab and Haryana, and the UT, Chandigarh, that the orders passed by this court, as also the directions contained therein, shall be adhered to and strictly complied with”.

The Bench also made it clear that the states of Punjab and Haryana, and the UT would not issue temporary licences for storage and sale of firecrackers for Dasehra this year. The Bench also ordered that the two states and the UT would issue a public notice and invite applications for temporary licences from October 22. The applications would be received up to 5 pm on October 26 and the draw of lots would be held on October 29.

Justice Amit Rawal of the High Court had earlier taken suo motu cognisance of pollution caused by the fireworks during the Diwali season. In his five-page note, Justice Rawal had expressed serious concerns on the increasing level of pollution in the region and its effects on human life.

“Being the festive season of Diwali, I am of the view that it is high time for the court to take cognisance of the alarming increase of pollution, resulting in a health hazard, particularly for persons having respiratory problems.”

“The SC has already issued guidelines in its order, released on September 12, 2017, with regard to prohibition on use of compounds of antimony, lithium, mercury, arsenic and lead in the manufacture of fireworks and use certain other materials which are permissible,” observed Justice Rawal in his note.

The Bench had, subsequently, allowed bursting of crackers for three hours from 6.30 pm during Diwali and Guru Nanak Dev’s birth anniversary celebrations. Enlarging the scope of the anti-cracker case, the Bench had also brought the blazing issue of stubble burning under its scanner.