MADURAI : National Green Tribunal (NGT) has set aside a petition filed by Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers Association (TANFAMA) urging to quash its order dated June 11, 2021, that mandates firecracker units to follow certain measures to prevent mishaps. The tribunal also upheld its earlier order on guidelines and directions.
The NGT's June 11 order follows the inspection by a team led by Retired Justice K Kannan at Sree Mariyammal Fireworks Factory at Achankulam village where an explosion left 19 people dead and 30 injured. The report clearly mentions damage to the environment and said there were violations of the statutory rules under the Environment Protection Act.
TANFAMA appealed to the Supreme Court on January 21, 2022, requesting it set aside the tribunal order. Accepting the association's plea, the Supreme Court ordered the tribunal to reconsider the matter.
During the hearing, TANFAMA claimed the NGT order will adversely affect 1,100 firecracker manufacturing units in the country. NGT in its order said Sree Mariyammal Fireworks Factory is not a member of TANFAMA and that the committee headed by a retired judge clearly mentioned the environmental damage caused by the firecracker blast.
Earlier, the same bench gave directions to the Tamil Nadu Government based on a report submitted by an eight-member fact-finding committee appointed by NGT after taking cognisance of a news report published by TNIE on February 12, 2021, titled 'At least 19 dead in Virudhunagar firecracker factory blast, more than 30 injured'.