Delhi HC suggests widening scope of PIL seeking guidelines to prevent ocular injuries by firecrackers

New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted two weeks time to broaden the scope of a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking formulation of comprehensive guidelines for the safe use of firecrackers to prevent ocular injuries.

A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela suggested that the PIL litigant, Ocular Trauma Society of India (OTSI), modulate the prayers in the PIL to include other kinds of injuries caused by firecrackers.

The bench remarked that firecrackers have the potential not only to cause ocular injuries but injuries to other body parts as well.

Ultimately, it permitted the petitioner’s lawyer to bring an amendment in the petition to include not only prevention of ocular injuries but for other injuries as well.

The petition, filed through advocates Rahul Bajaj and Sarah, sought immediate intervention of the Delhi HC to ensure that the Union Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, and Environment, Forests and Climate Change regulate the usage and manufacture of firecrackers across the country in order to minimise the significant public health risks.

The PIL contended that the government must formulate and implement comprehensive guidelines for the safe use of firecrackers to prevent ocular injuries to the members of the public.

“The use of firecrackers, especially during festivals like Diwali, has resulted in a significant number of ophthalmic injuries, such as corneal abrasions, chemical burns, and thermal burns. These injuries are often severe, leading to permanent vision loss in many cases,” the petition said.

Statistics from various studies show that firecrackers account for approximately 20 per cent of all ocular injuries during the festive season, further said the petition, adding that from 2017 to 2020, 65 cases of ocular trauma occurred due to firecrackers, with a significant number of victims being under the age of 20, and injuries most often sustained by bystanders.

It stressed the urgent need to implement and enforce specific, clear, and effective regulations on the use of firecrackers, particularly with respect to their role in causing vision loss. The petitioner suggested measures such as public education campaigns, stricter guidelines on the permissible use of firecrackers, restrictions on usage in high-density areas, and mandatory safety measures such as protective eyewear.

The Ocular Trauma Society of India, a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, of 1860, aims to promote and stimulate general advancement, education, prevention, management and research activities related to ocular trauma.

–IANS

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