Green crackers’ sale at 16 places in Prayagraj

This Diwali, revelers will have to be content with low decibel ‘green’ crackers, after the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) restrictions on high noise fireworks which causes sound and air pollution.

The administration has specified 16 places in the city for sale of crackers and has issued temporary licenses to retailers.

The fire department has also completed its preparations to counter any emergency situation.

Arrangement of water tanks, fire extinguishers and fire tenders will be made near the places where crackers will be on sale.

As per the NGT guidelines, focus is on sale of green crackers with sound below 14 decibel. The crackers went high up in the air and exploded which made the pollutants disperse quickly, said firecracker trader and office -bearer of Prayagraj Vyapar Mandal, Abdul Qadir.

The firecrackers with high decibel sound had been restricted by NGT and would not be sold by any retailer.

However, other small items like sparklers, hunter, rocket, roll caps etc would be available, he added.

The administration has issued temporary licenses to retailers for selling the crackers at the allotted places which will be under close watch of police and administrative officials to ensure that only crackers approved by NGT are being sold.

The stockists have been also issued licenses for 15 days for stocking the green crackers. Team of officials will scan the records of the stockists .

Chief fire officer Ravindra Shankar Mishra said the fire department was ensuring that adequate safety measures were in place at cracker markets and godowns of stockists.

Firefighting equipment like extinguishers, sand buckets and water buckets must compulsorily be kept by cracker traders at their establishments.

Moreover, fire tenders would be deployed close to the venues where firecrackers would be on sale. Separate entry and exit points would be ensured at these places and all preparations would be made to counter any emergency situation, the CFO added.

The fire department was ensuring that adequate safety measures were in place at cracker markets and godowns of stockists.

RAVINDRA SHANKAR MISHRA , Chief fire officer