New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday asked the Centre to inform it about steps that can be taken to strengthen the protocols against the production and sale of non-green firecrackers in the country.
A bench comprising Justices A S Bopanna and M M Sundresh asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre and regulatory bodies, to bring on record steps that can be taken to enforce the ban on prohibited firecrackers. The top court observed that regulations become a mockery if not implemented while stressing a mechanism to make manufacturers and sellers follow the guidelines.
Bhati said expert bodies like the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) have made many decisions on green crackers. The top court asked her to apprise it of measures for strengthening the regulatory protocols.
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Senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing some manufacturers, said expert bodies like PESO, CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) and the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) have dealt with the issue of green crackers, and they have come out with guidelines and the chemical formulae of green crackers.
On the issue of the usage of Barium salt, the top court was informed that it has been used in the production of firecrackers across the globe. A counsel said manufacturers in India have also agreed to set up a laboratory in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu for effective monitoring. After hearing submissions, the top court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on September 13. The top court was hearing a PIL filed on behalf of Arjun Gopal in 2015 seeking a complete ban on the production and sale of firecrackers.
