SC modifies Telangana HC order on cracker ban, grants partial relief to firecracker dealers
Nov 13, 2020
New Delhi [India], November 13 : The Supreme Court on Friday modified the Telangana High Court order and granted partial relief to Telangana Fire Works Dealers Association (TFWDA) allowing the sale and bursting of green crackers for two hours during Diwali.
A bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar and also comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna, issued notice to the Telangana government returnable on November 16.
The impugned judgment stands modified and be in line with NGT's order of November 9 which applies even to the State of Telangana, the apex court said in its interim order.
Senior lawyer Salman Khurshid and others advocates including Pranav Diesh, Mohammad Ibrahim, C H Jayakrishna, and Advocate on Record (ALR) Somanadri Goud Katam, appeared for TFWDA and argued the matter before the Supreme Court today.
This comes after the Telangana High Court on Thursday banned the sale and use of crackers in the state ahead of Diwali, owing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Some other states and union territories have banned firecrackers in the situation created by COVID-19 while a few have allowed selective use of 'green' firecrackers for a few hours. Some states are also battling high level of pollution.
