New Delhi: People in West Bengal, like in Odisha, will after all be able to celebrate Diwali with green crackers.
Just days after the West Bengal government allowed bursting of green crackers between 8 pm and 10 pm during Kali Puja, Diwali and Chhath, Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered a blanket ban on all kinds of firecrackers up to December 31.
On Monday, however, the Supreme Court set aside the Calcutta high court order banning sale, purchase and use of all firecrackers to curb air pollution amid COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are convinced that if the high court wanted to impose complete ban, it should have asked the authorities to offer an explanation requiring such an extreme order and departing from the order passed by this court on October 29,” the bench comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and Ajay Rastogi observed at a special sitting as courts have closed for Diwali vacation.
Justices Khanwilkar and Rastogi were hearing petitions filed against the high court order by two fireworks dealers’ associations, which pleaded that they have already received their stocks from Tamil Nadu’s Sivakasi.
Advocates Siddharth Bhatnagar and Malvika Trivedi, who represented the dealers, recalled the Supreme Court’s direction last week that there is no complete ban on firecrackers and use of green crackers and improved crackers (with reduced emission) are permitted.
Agreeing with the advocates, the apex court said: “All states are following the order passed by this court. How can West Bengal be an exception? Our order has to be consistent in all areas unless as a matter of policy, any state decides to impose a ban (on sale or use of firecrackers).”
The Odisha government had earlier banned firecrackers, but on Monday, the Orissa high court allowed green crackers to be sold ahead of Diwali.
Also Read: Know Green Firecrackers You Can Use This Diwali In Odisha
