Ban on sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR: Traders move SC

New Delhi: A group of firecracker traders on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court urging it to reconsider its recent order temporarily banning the sale of firecrackers in Delhi and NCR.

According to ANI, the traders have sought permission from the apex court to sell their existing stock.

After SC banned sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR, some cracker traders have moved SC today seeking permission to sell their stock.

— ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2017

The traders told the apex court that their licences were revived in pursuance of the apex court's order passed in September 12 and they procured firecrackers for sale during Diwali.

A bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi, AM Sapre and Navin Sinha assured the counsel for the traders that it would consult the judge concerned, who had passed the order, for placing their interim application for urgent hearing, PTI reported.

The move comes days after the apex court upheld the suspension of licenses for sale of crackers in Delhi and the National Capital Region. 

The ban on sale and stocking of firecrackers will be in effect till November 1, 2017, the apex court said in its ruling.

The Supreme Court order was seen as an attempt to check alarming pollution level in the national capital.

Though the order dealt a severe blow to the traders and businessmen dealing in them, it was widely welcomed by environmentalists. 

Last year, the top court had suspended all licences which "permit sale of fireworks, wholesale and retail within the territory of NCR".

Arjun Gopal, a toddler, had petitioned against the top court order, urging to modify its order by uplifting the ban on the sale of firecrackers. 

On October 6, a bench of Justices AK Sikri, Abhay Manohar Sapre and Ashok Bhushan reserved its order on the plea seeking restoration of the top court's last year order banning the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR.

The Supreme Court on September 12, 2017 modified its November 2016 order suspending all licences for sale and retail of firecrackers within Delhi NCR.

Last year, entire Delhi-NCR was engulfed in a thick blanket of toxic fog, the morning after the Diwali.

Delhi's air quality index spike up to 42 times the safe limit.