Delhi government impose ban on Firecrackers

To control winter pollution...

CM Arvind Kejriwal has decided to ban firecrackers on the occasion of Diwali to control pollution. The manufacturing, storage, sale, online delivery, and bursting of any type of firecrackers are completely prohibited in Delhi,” Delhi environmental minister, Gopal Rai said.

The minister said that the police in Delhi-NCR have been instructed to issue a circular on behalf of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), stating that no licenses will be granted. “Celebrating festivals is important, but equally important is caring for the environment. That's why we have made this decision in Delhi for the last 2 years, and the people of Delhi are supportive,” he added.

India will be celebrating Diwali on November 13 this year. Typically, during winter, in addition to vehicular emissions and industrial emissions, there are additional factors contributing to pollution, including dust storms, stubble burning (crop fires), burning of solid fuels for heating, along with the use of firecrackers during Diwali. To curb pollution to some extent, the Delhi government has been banning all types of firecrackers for the past three years.

During the press conference on Monday, the environment minister highlighted a positive trend in Delhi's air.

In an effort to seek expert input and collaboration, the minister also announced a forthcoming meeting with environmental experts scheduled for Tuesday.

Rai mentioned the environmental challenges posed by Diwali celebrations. He noted that traditionally, the day after Diwali sees a significant spike in pollution levels due to firecracker usage. Despite the Supreme Court's decision in October 23, 2018, permitting only the use of green crackers during Diwali, people continued to use various types of firecrackers, leading to elevated pollution levels that year.

In 2021, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) took additional steps by banning the storage and sale of all kinds of firecrackers within the city. To further restrict the inflow of firecrackers, officials were instructed not to issue licenses for firecracker storage and to prohibit the import of crackers from outside Delhi.