The Supreme Court on Monday said that its order of last November banning the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-National Capital Region will continue till 31 October.
Last month, the top court had temporarily suspended the ban allowing the sale of crackers, saying a complete ban would be an “extreme step” and a “graded approach” was needed to tackle pollution.
However, on Monday, a bench headed by Justice A K Sikri said the apex court’s 12 September order temporarily lifting the stay and permitting sale of firecrackers would be effective from 1 November, reported PTI.
Diwali is on 19 October and the order effectively means that no firecrackers will be available for purchase before the festival.
The top court said it has not changed the 12 September order but its 11 November, 2016 order banning the sale of firecrackers “should be given a chance”.
The top court, through the 2016 order, had suspended all licences which “permit sale of fireworks, wholesale and retail within the territory of NCR”.
The apex court’s order came on a plea seeking restoration of the November 2016 order. The Supreme Court wants to test the impact of ban on the air quality in the national capital region post Diwali.
