The Supreme Court on Friday said it will actively consider limiting the firework bursting time on Diwali to a period of five hours between 5 pm and 10 pm, while hearing a petition filed by three infants seeking a complete ban on crackers.
The bench asked solicitor general Ranjit Kumar and additional solicitor general Maninder Singh to consult the departments concerned in the government and come out with their response within a week to six suggestions given by the petitioner's counsel A M Singhvi, a report in the Times of India adds.
The bench also accepted a suggestion from the petitioner on spreading awareness about the harmful effects of crackers.
Besides ordering the Centre and state governments to give publicity to the ill effects of crackers in the media, it also told teachers to spread awareness among students.
In a unique petition, three infants moved a petition to the Supreme Court through their advocate fathers on September 29, seeking a ban on crackers, exercising their right to clean air guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Two six-month-olds Arjun Gopal and Aarav Bhandari and 14-month-old Zoya Rao Bhasin, wrote in their petition that "Our lungs have not yet fully developed and we cannot take further pollution through bursting of crackers."
The Supreme Court permits minors to file petitions for the protection of their fundamental rights through their parents or guardians.
The largest fire works manufacturers in the country, later moved the SC, saying any order on the issue would affect its business.
The other suggestions in the petition included restricting licence to low hazard fireworks, limiting licence to manufacture fireworks only between Dussehra and Diwali and asking resident welfare associations to hold community fireworks for a brief period of 30 minutes on a single day, the TOI report adds.
The court posted the matter for October 27.