Order of the Supreme Court of India in the matter of Arjun Gopal & Others Vs Union of India & Others dated 05/03/2019 regarding air pollution due to bursting of crackers and stubble burning.

[2]

SC directs the two states of Haryana and Punjab and the India Meteorological Department to file their comprehensive response to the suggestions of the applicant within a period of three weeks on the issue of crop burning.

Insofar as the issue of manufacture of environment-friendly crackers is concerned, counsel appearing for the PESO has produced before the Court copy of Minutes of Meeting dated 27.02.2019. It records the minutes of joint work which was undertaken by CSIR - NEERI, standard fireworks and other fireworks manufacturers relating to the formulation and deployment/ production of green crackers. SC has been informed that PESO and NEERI have been able to finalise the improved formulations for manufacture of green crackers, timelines within which the final approval would be given and bulk production would start, were also mentioned therein. SC orders NEERI and PESO to stick to the aforesaid timelines given in these minutes. Further once these new formulations are developed by the Expert Body of NEERI and PESO which have associated with other experts also, there should not be any problem in manufacturing the green crackers with the aforesaid formulations but no Barium Nitrate or Potassium Nitrate as oxidizers should be used.