Concerned over the worsening air quality in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court on Friday mulled the prospect of directing the Centre to suspend, and not renew, the licence for possessing, stocking and selling firecrackers in the national capital.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice T. S. Thakur said it would go step-by-step on the issue as fireworks had now become a part of life and a reasonable order needed to be passed so that it could be enforced.
“Have some patience. It cannot be done overnight. We will do whatever is best for the country and Delhi. Any order passed by us will have to be reasonable so that it could be enforced,” the bench, also comprising Justices A. K. Sikri and S. A. Bobde, said while reserving its order in the matter.
“If we ban firecrackers, then every cracker burst would be a breach of our order. We will consider all aspects and pass an interim order for a limited period,” the bench said when it was told that large amounts of firecrackers would be burnt in the coming wedding and festival season.
Impact on lifestyle It said it was considering passing an order that no new licence would be granted and existing licences not renewed, or could direct the Centre to pass an order suspending the existing licences in Delhi-NCR. The bench said it would not pass any final order without going into research and reports on its impact on air quality, health and lifestyle.
