A spokesman for the Delhi city government was not available for comment. Last year, the Supreme Court temporarily banned the sale of firecrackers in and around the capital city, an area with a population of about 20 million. "You cannot have something monitored solely by the Supreme Court whose ruling last year can be seen only as a stop-gap arrangement." In its affidavit to the Supreme Court, the environment ministry has rather asked for the introduction of firecrackers that emit less harmful chemicals. Hypocrisy ClaimShopkeepers in the trade say setting off firecrackers on Diwali is part of an ancient Hindu tradition and the Supreme Court must respect the sentiments of Hindus.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 19, 2018 16:52 UTC