‘Very poor’: Capital flouts cracker rules
Many across NCR refuse to go green, PM2.5 level rises to 18 times the safe limit
NEW DELHI: Thousands of people in the national capital violated time restrictions and burst banned firecrackers, defying appeals from health experts, political leaders, and the Supreme Court, who urged, coaxed and ordered them to celebrate an eco-friendly Diwali in the wake of Delhi’s annual air pollution crisis.
By midnight on Sunday, the noxious fumes pushed the level of PM2.5 ultra-fine particles, which take the heaviest toll on human health among all air pollutants, to almost 18 times of what is considered safe to breathe.
The pollution, while an improvement from last year’s Diwali — when the peak PM2.5 concentration was 26 times the safe level — could be correlated with firecracker use, according to experts and data analysed by HT, suggesting the problem may have been avoided by observing the festival of lights responsibly.
“Firecrackers were the sole reason for pushing Delhi’s air quality to ‘severe’ levels this year. Government agencies had all pre-emptive measures so that we could avoid this day. Every other source was controlled; it was all in the hands of people,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment.
JALANDHAR: A bomb-disposal squad, a team with sniffer dogs, fire department personnel and the police rushed to Baba Mohan Das Colony on Sunday night, after an explosion in 50 boxes of crackers stored illegally at a plot in the area created panic. The crackers had been stored at the plot for over two months, police say, adding that the cause of the blast had not been ascertained yet.
“The sound of the blast was so strong that it could be heard even 2km away,” claimed a resident of the area, adding that several vehicles parked nearby were damaged. The window panes of over two dozen houses were also shattered, claimed another resident, adding that there was danger that the foundations of some of the houses could also have been damaged. Police have arrested the shopkeeper, Gurdeep Singh alias Gora of Riaz Pura locality, and also booked the caretaker of the plot, Harjinder Singh, who is a local transporter, who is absconding. The owner lives abroad.
‘CRACKERS STORED ILLEGALLY AT THE PLOT TWO MONTHS AGO’
“The accused Gora had bought 50 boxes of crackers at ₹70,000 from Ludhiana and stored these at the plot about two months ago. He is already facing two cases for storing crackers illegally at Khingra Gate, where he used to pay ₹3,000 a month for this. There is no terror link,” said police commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, adding that Gora had been in the business of crackers for 15 years.
Gora and Harjinder have been booked under Sections 3/4/5 of the Explosive Substances Act and 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance); 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant); 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of ₹50) of the Indian Penal Code.