Delhi govt bans firecracker sales to curb pollution as part of ‘winter action plan’
Delhi environmental minister said that police in Delhi-NCR have been instructed not to grant licenses for the manufacturing, sale, or storage of firecrackers.
Delhi environmental minister Gopal Rai announced on Monday that the government has once again decided to ban all types of crackers because of the pollution level increase during winter. At a press briefing, Rai said that this decision was made by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal as part of the ‘winter action plan’ aimed at controlling pollution, which typically peaks in December and January due to various factors.
“CM Arvind Kejriwal has decided to ban firecrackers on the occasion of Diwali to control pollution. The manufacturing, storage, sale, online delivery, and bursting of any type of firecrackers are completely prohibited in Delhi,” Gopal Rai said.
The minister said that the police in Delhi-NCR have been instructed to issue a circular on behalf of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), stating that no licenses will be granted. “Celebrating festivals is important, but equally important is caring for the environment. That's why we have made this decision in Delhi for the last 2 years, and the people of Delhi are supportive,” he added.
Pollution during winter in Delhi
India will be celebrating Diwali on November 13 this year. Typically, during winter, in addition to vehicular emissions and industrial emissions, there are additional factors contributing to pollution, including dust storms, stubble burning (crop fires), burning of solid fuels for heating, along with the use of firecrackers during Diwali. To curb pollution to some extent, the Delhi government has been banning all types of firecrackers for the past three years.
During the press conference on Monday, the environment minister highlighted a positive trend in Delhi's air quality index (AQI) for the year from January to August. However, he expressed concerns about the upcoming winter season, which historically witnesses an increase in particulate matter in Delhi's air. To address this, he said that the government is actively working on a comprehensive winter action plan aimed at curbing pollution.
In an effort to seek expert input and collaboration, the minister also announced a forthcoming meeting with environmental experts scheduled for Tuesday.
Rai mentioned the environmental challenges posed by Diwali celebrations. He noted that traditionally, the day after Diwali sees a significant spike in pollution levels due to firecracker usage. Despite the Supreme Court's decision in October 23, 2018, permitting only the use of green crackers during Diwali, people continued to use various types of firecrackers, leading to elevated pollution levels that year.
In response to these concerns, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued an order on December 1, 2020, stipulating that a total ban on crackers would be enforced wherever pollution levels in the Delhi-NCR region fell under the “poor” category. This regulatory measure aimed to mitigate the adverse environmental impact of firecrackers.
In 2021, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) took additional steps by banning the storage and sale of all kinds of firecrackers within the city. To further restrict the inflow of firecrackers, officials were instructed not to issue licenses for firecracker storage and to prohibit the import of crackers from outside Delhi.