Ban on firecrackers remains in place this Diwali, says Kejriwal
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Wednesday announced a “complete ban” on the sale, use and storage of firecrackers in the Capital this Diwali – a move to pre-emptively act on winter pollution that has become an annual health crisis for the city, said chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
“In view of the deteriorating pollution levels in Delhi over the last three years around Diwali time, like last year, it has been decided that the storage, sale and use of firecrackers have been completely banned. This has been done to save people’s lives,” Kejriwal tweeted on Wednesday.
The CM said in another tweet that the decision was taken earlier than last year to help traders avoid losses.
In 2020, the ban was announced just days ahead of Diwali when businesses had procured stocks of firecrackers.
The ban is likely to continue for the entire winter season, officials said.
For the last few years, as the cold sets in Delhi’s air quality plunges to hazardous levels due to weather conditions and the pollution caused during the festive season and burning of crop residue in neighbouring states.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Wednesday announced a “complete ban” on the sale, use and storage of firecrackers in the Capital this Diwali. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that they imposed the pre-emptive ban in view of the city’s deteriorating air quality over the past three years.
“In view of the deteriorating pollution levels in Delhi over the last three years around Diwali time, like last year, it has been decided that the storage, sale and use of firecrackers have been completely banned. This has been done to save people’s lives,” he tweeted on Wednesday.
In another tweet, the Delhi CM added that the decision was taken early this year to help traders avoid losses. “Last year, the complete ban was imposed late, after looking at the rising pollution levels in the city. Because of this traders had already bought stock and they had to face losses. This time, traders are requested not to stock up on crackers,” he added.
Senior officials of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) said that the ban includes the sale, storage and use of green crackers and will continue for the entire winter season.
On November 6 last year, just days ahead of Diwali, the Delhi government imposed a similar ban on the sale and use of crackers citing the rising number of Covid-19 cases and the impact of pollution on patients and vulnerable residents. As Delhi’s air quality continued to deteriorate over the next month, the National Green Tribunal extended a conditional ban during the Covid-19 pandemic period, saying that bursting of crackers was prohibited in all states with “poor” and below air.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) scale, an air quality index (AQI) reading between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”. CPCB data for the last three years shows Delhi’s average AQI reading almost in the “poor” category.
Last year, cracker traders in the Capital severely criticised the Delhi government for imposing the ban just days ahead of Diwali. By then traders had already procured licences and stocked crackers for sale, resulting in losses.
This is the fourth consecutive year that the government has imposed a complete ban on the sale and use of crackers.
Traders said that while the government claimed that the ban was announced early this year to reduce traders’ losses, Delhi Police had already begun the process of registering temporary licenses. “Delhi Police had already started the process from September 10 and tomorrow (September 16) is the last date,” said Narendra Gupta, the president of fireworks and general traders association, Sadar Bazar.
Gupta said that in the last five years, the cracker industry in Delhi has been completely wiped out. Nearly 175 crackers tradesmen would apply for licenses during Diwali until five years ago; barely 16-17 applied this year till Wednesday.
Delhi’s environment minister Gopal Rai said, “The third wave of the pandemic can arise at any time and the decision has been taken to keep control over the fatality of the situation... To avoid this situation, we decided that the DPCC, like last year, will issue directions for the complete ban,”