Punjab allows bursting of green firecrackers for 2 hrs on Diwali night
A government spokesperson said there is a statewide ban on the manufacture, stockpiling, distribution, sale and use of joined firecrackers (series crackers or laris).
Punjab residents can burst firecrackers from 8pm to 10pm on Diwali (October 31) as per a government notification issued on Monday.
Citing the orders of the Supreme Court of India and the National Green Tribunal, the state government has also announced the time window for bursting of crackers on Gurpurab (4am to 5 am, November 15), Christmas (9pm to 10pm, December 25 and 26) and New Year (11:55 pm to 12:30 am, December 31 and January 1, 2025).
Only green crackers allowed
A government spokesperson said there is a statewide ban on the manufacture, stockpiling, distribution, sale and use of joined firecrackers (series crackers or laris). Only “green crackers” (those free from barium salts or compounds of antimony, lithium, mercury, arsenic, lead or strontium chromate) are permitted to be sold and used. Further, only licensed traders are allowed to sell firecrackers. Display or sale of firecrackers exceeding permissible decibel levels is prohibited.
The government has prohibited e-commerce platforms from accepting online orders or facilitating sales within the state.
Besides this, deputy commissioners have been instructed to conduct extensive public awareness campaigns, highlighting the harmful effects of firecrackers. Law enforcement agencies have been directed to ensure that the sale and use of permitted green firecrackers occurs only during designated times and at approved locations.