Bombay HC bans sale of firecrackers in residential areas; refuses to renew licences of dealers

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has refused to grant relief to two firecrackers’ dealers seeking temporary licences to set up their shops in residential areas. The traders from Nashik had sought temporary licences to set up their shops ahead of Diwali, as their permanent licenses had not been renewed by the concerned authorities. [caption id=“attachment_4129223” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] Pulling up the applicants for approaching the court at the last hour, a bench led by Chief Justice Manjula Chellur recently rejected their plea. The bench referred to an order by the high court last year, when another bench of the court directed civic bodies in the state to inspect and re-verify licenses issued in every ward for selling firecrackers ahead of Diwali, and to ensure that safety measures were in place to avoid accidents. The chief justice was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Chandrakant Lasure, highlighting the issue of illegal firecracker shops set up in residential areas during Diwali.