Dealers in Chandigarh see red over firecracker ban, to approach HC

Say the decision came too late after they had invested in stocks ahead of Diwali.

Having invested heavily in stocks ahead of Diwali, firecracker dealers in Chandigarh are planning to approach the Punjab and Haryana high court against the ban on firecrackers imposed by the UT administration on Friday.

The Chandigarh administration had imposed a ban on the sale and use of firecrackers till futher orders in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. (HT File Photo)

“We are not against the ban, but the way it was imposed. It should have come at least a few weeks back. After the administration held the draw of lots on November 3 to issue 96 permits, dealers had made advance payments to wholesalers in Kurali and Ambala. They will now suffer huge losses,” said Devinder Gupta, president of the Chandigarh Crackers Seller Association.

“Even in the previous years, the administration keeps dilly-dallying on the policy for firecrackers. Such uncertainty is harmful for the business,” he added.

Gupta said they will appeal to the high court to allow the 96 traders selected through the draw of lots to sell firecrackers and a two-hour period for bursting firecrackers on Diwali. Else, he added, the administration should compensate the traders for their purchases.

Supporting the association, Chandigarh Beopar Mandal’s (CBM) chairman Charanjiv Singh said, “It’s not like the pandemic got worse just one week before Diwali. The administration took the decision too late and we stand by the firecracker dealers in opposing this.”

Meanwhile, environmentalists have welcomed the ban, saying it will help keep the Air Quality Index (AQI) in check. “There is a correlation between the worsening air quality and the intensity of symptoms being faced by Covid patients. Rather than bursting firecrackers, Diwali can be celebrated by spending time with family and friends and lighting diyas,” said Debendra Dalai, vice-chairman, Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee.