Delhi govt notifies ban on all types of firecrackers in Delhi ahead of Diwali

Announcing the notification, Delhi’s environment minister Gopal Rai said the ban has been imposed in order to control the spike in pollution seen in the region through the usage of firecrackers

The Delhi government on Monday notified a complete ban on the manufacturing, sale, storage, and bursting of all kinds of firecrackers in the national Capital till January 1, 2025. The directive was issued by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and also includes restrictions on online sales and deliveries.

The blanket ban is part of the government’s broader initiative to mitigate air pollution and protect public health. (AFP photo)

The ban was notified over a month after it was initially announced by the Delhi government on September 9. The notification means firecrackers will be prohibited on all upcoming festivals, including Diwali later this month, officials said.

Announcing the notification, Delhi’s environment minister Gopal Rai said the ban has been imposed in order to control the spike in pollution seen in the region through the usage of firecrackers.

“The blanket ban is part of the government’s broader initiative to mitigate air pollution and protect public health, particularly during the festive season in winter months when pollution levels spike to hazardous levels,” said Rai on Monday, during an inspection of Delhi’s construction sites where he was assessing compliance to dust norms.

Rai said the Delhi Police have been tasked with the enforcement of this ban, with daily compliance reports to be submitted to the DPCC. A ban on firecrackers is also part of the Delhi government’s Winter Action Plan this year, which focuses on 21 different issues.

A significant delay between announcement and actual notification of the ban on firecrackers was seen last year too. It was announced on September 11, 2023, but notified nearly a month later, on October 9.

In 2022, the ban was announced by the government on September 7, but was notified a week later, on September 14.

The Delhi government first banned firecrackers in 2017, when the Supreme Court asked whether a ban on bursting crackers in the Capital would impact the air quality. Subsequently, the Supreme Court in 2018 banned all conventional firecrackers in Delhi-NCR and allowed only “green” crackers without barium salts to be burst in the region. However, due to difficulty in differentiating between “green” and conventional crackers, the state government since 2020 began imposing a blanket ban on all firecrackers every winter season.