Amid rising pollution, especially during the festive season, several states have imposed curbs on bursting of fire crackers on Diwali (24 October) this year. Some states, like Delhi have imposed a complete ban on any kind of firecrackers, while others have allowed the use of only green crackers.
Green crackers are fireworks that do not use barium salts or compounds of antimony, lithium, mercury arsenic, strontium, chromate.
In the nation’s capital, fireworks caused major changes in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations on Diwali night last year. Cracker emissions along with other causative factors had pushed Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index for the day after Diwali to 462, the highest in five years.
Delhi
In September, the Delhi government re-imposed a complete ban on the production, sale and use of all types of firecrackers till January 1, including on Diwali. This will be the third year of the ban.
In fact, bursting of firecrackers on the day of Diwali(24 October) will attract a jail term of up to six months and a fine of Rs 200, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday.
Apart from this, production, storage and sale of firecrackers in Delhi will be punishable with a fine of up to Rs 5,000 and three years jail under Section 9B of the Explosives Act, Rai further said.
The Supreme Court, and the Delhi High Court have upheld the complete ban on firecrackers and refused to entertain pleas challenging it.
Punjab
Punjab experiences a drop in the Air Quality Index around Diwali due to increased use of firecrackers and the continuous stubble burning.
This year on Diwali, Punjab has given a two-hour window — between 8pm to 10 pm — to burst only “green” firecrackers. It has banned the manufacturing, production and sale of firecrackers, except the “green” ones.
Haryana
The Haryana State Pollution Control Board has banned the manufacture, sale and use of firecrackers, exempting the “green” crackers. Sharing its border with the national capital, Haryana experiences high levels of pollution due to firecrackers, stubble burning and more pollutants.
West Bengal
The Calcutta High Court issued an order allowing the use of only green fireworks that have a QR code on them during the festive season. The green crackers will only be used and sold on October 24, on the day of Kali Puja and Diwali.
The Court directed Bengal’s Pollution Control Board that only green fireworks will be imported and sold in the state.
Tamil Nadu
The Tamil Nadu government has allowed the bursting of “less pollution” and “low sounding” firecrackers for an hour twice on the Diwali day.
People can burst crackers between 6 am to 7 am and between 7pm to 8pm on October 24.
The state’s pollution control board issued an advisory banning the firing of rockets near huts or multi-story flats.
With agency inputs
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