New Delhi: The Supreme Court today refused to grant an urgent hearing to a plea challenging an order banning the storage, sale, and use of all types of firecrackers in the national capital till January 1, 2023.
Chief Justice UU Lalit and Justice Bela M Trivedi asked the lawyer who had mentioned the matter and is seeking an urgent hearing to approach the Delhi High Court.
“Let the high court decision, we will not go into it,” the bench said.
The lawyer, who sought the urgent hearing, said before the bench that the high court had taken the view that the matter was being heard by the Supreme Court and listed it on October 18.
The Delhi High Court had earlier adjourned the hearing on green cracker traders’ challenge to the order banning the storage, sale, and use of all types of firecrackers till January 1.
The petitioners argued that the absolute ban by the Delhi Pollution Control Board is against the orders of the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal, which have never imposed such a blanket ban.
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the Delhi government’s order banning the storage, sale, and use of all types of firecrackers till January 1 to check pollution levels in the national capital, saying it did not want to contribute to air pollution.
The Supreme Court clarified last year that there is no blanket ban on the use of firecrackers and only those fireworks that contain barium salts are banned.