The Supreme Court on Monday set aside Calcutta High Court’s total ban on firecrackers during this Diwali and other festivals like Christmas, saying green crackers can be used.

The vacation bench of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Ajay Rastogi cited the apex court’s October 29 order that allowed the use of green crackers, and said it applied to Bengal too.

However, it asked the state government to ensure that no banned crackers were sold or used.

“Everything has been specified by the Supreme Court in the earlier orders. The orders are clear. There is nothing new that we have to say,” the apex court observed.

It added: “There cannot be a complete ban. Strengthen the mechanism to ensure that misuse is stopped.”

The bench was hearing a batch of petitions and applications from cracker manufacturers and dealers challenging the high court’s October 29 order imposing a blanket ban on firecrackers.

Senior advocates Sidharth Bhatnagar and Malvika Trivedi, appearing for groups of manufacturers, said the high court order ran counter to the apex court order allowing the use of green crackers across the country depending on the local air quality.

But senior advocate Gopal Sankarnarayan, representing Arjun Gopal whose petition had prompted the apex court to pass a series of orders restricting the use of firecrackers, supported the high court order.

His contention was that although the apex court had allowed only green crackers, some manufacturers were still using barium illegally in their crackers.

Senior advocate Anand Grover, representing the Bengal government, said the state administration had taken all necessary measures against any violations of the apex court order. He said more than 10 people had been arrested for the sale of illegal crackers.

The high court had banned the use of any kind of firecrackers during Kali Puja, Diwali, Chhath Puja, Jagaddhatri Puja, Guru Nanak’s Birthday, Christmas or New Year’s Eve this year.