Wcd ministry to be party in supreme court on firecracker case

WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi had received several complaints from women, especially from women above a certain age, about distress caused by firecrackers. In a bid to find out whether

firecrackers have any adverse effect on women and children, especially pregnant and lactating women, the Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry is making itself party to a Supreme Court

petition filed by three children in 2017 asking the top court to reinforce a ban on firecrackers. Sources in the Ministry said that WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi had received several complaints

from women, especially from women above a certain age, about distress caused by firecrackers. Children, too, have written to the ministry expressing concern about pollution. The ministry

will contend in the apex court that a certain noise limit should be enforced even in cases where firecrackers are allowed. "We are going to plea that civic sense is needed to set a

certain decibel level," a ministry official said. Officials said that the ministry's view is that with advancing age, women have a lowered immunity and resistance, and in the case

of pregnant women the indisposition to psychosomatic stresses is higher. Three children — Arjun Gopal, Aarav Bhandari and Zoya Roa Bhasin — had pleaded in the apex court last year that it

needs to rethink a September 12, 2017 order where it relaxed a November 2016 order banning the sale of firecrackers in Delhi. In the September 2017 order, SC relaxed the ban so that

firecracker traders could exhaust the existing stock of 50 lakh kg of fireworks. The ministry said that it wants to see if women and children suffer more due to firecrackers. The matter is

likely to be taken up on Monday. THE CASE * Three children — Arjun Gopal, Aarav Bhandari and Zoya Roa Bhasin — had pleaded in the Supreme Court last year that it needs to rethink a September

12, 2017 order where it relaxed a November 2016 order banning the sale of firecrackers in Delhi.  * In the September 2017 order, the apex court relaxed the ban so that firecracker traders

could exhaust the existing stock of fireworks — estimated to be 50 lakh kg.